Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

During last year's election campaign, I lost track of the number of people who raised three key issues with me: climate, integrity and treatment of women. That hasn't changed much. When I was out in Boothby over the weekend conducting mobile offices, I had people raise these same three issues with me. They told me how concerned they were about the future of our planet. I had an older man in tears over the future of his children and grandchildren after a decade of inaction on climate change.

People told me about their concern that Australia's international reputation had been damaged by a drop of 12 points on the international anticorruption scale over the last decade. While Australia has had a five-point increase since the Albanese government was elected, they were keen to ensure that we keep going. And I heard about women facing the challenge of how to manage a career and a family and how to ensure that they have a secure financial future when the system is stacked against them. I was pleased to be able to say to these concerned constituents that the Albanese Labor government has heard them. We have taken action on each one of these key priorities, and there is more action yet to come.

My electorate was so pleased when the Albanese government legislated the 43 per cent emissions reduction target last year. It was a concrete step in the right direction, and I said then, when I spoke to the people in Boothby, that this is just the first step. Earlier this week, Australia watched a powerful example of the Albanese government getting things done when we were able to reach agreement to pass our reforms to the safeguard mechanism. After setting the 43 per cent target, this is how we will reach that target. After 10 years of denial and delay by those opposite, we finally ended the climate wars. We have delivered real action that will drive down emissions. It is supported by business, it's supported by industry and it's supported by agriculture. They see the way forward as well. It will provide them with the certainty they have been calling for for years. We know that the failure to act is a threat to our health, our national security, our lives, our livelihoods and our communities. After a decade of denial and delay, Australia finally has a federal government committed to taking rapid action to turn this climate crisis around.

We said we would establish a federal anticorruption commission, and last year we legislated one. Just this morning, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced the appointment of the first federal Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Justice Paul Brereton. The appointment represents the Labor government's delivery of its commitment to the Australian people—a return to integrity, honesty and accountability in government. By establishing a powerful, transparent and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission in our first term, our government is taking the vital first step and acting quickly to restore the kind of institutional accountability and transparency that Australians rightly expect of their elected representatives. Of course, this is not the end. The work of setting up the National Anti-Corruption Commission continues, and the Attorney-General is continuing the work on a judicial review body and a review of whistleblower protection legislation, amongst other things. This government is committed to integrity because integrity matters.

The Albanese government is already moving on a range of issues relating to gender equality. The steps forward in this area are many: gender pay equity, gender equity as an objective of the Fair Work Commission, cheaper child care, the extension of paid parental leave, paid domestic violence leave, and the reinstatement of the women's budget statement, which considers the impact on women of each budget measure.

While those opposite just oppose everything, vacating the negotiating table because they have nothing to offer, this government is getting on with the job. The actions we've taken so far are just the first steps—important steps, foundations for effective policy and actions that will build and transform our country into a modern powerhouse, a renewable energy superpower not held back by corruption or gender disadvantage. The Albanese Labor government is doing what we were sent here to do: we are delivering real action on climate change, restoring the integrity of our parliament and government and working to make gender inequality history.

House adjourned at 20:00

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