Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will conclude my address-in-reply speech that I started on 26 September and continued on 8 November. When my remarks were delayed last time, I was referencing the $5 million ripped out of Wagga Wagga for a veterans wellness centre. Wagga Wagga is a military centre. It is the only inland regional city centre with bases for all three of our armed services. For the RAAF, it's home to No. 31 Squadron and Ground Academy, including No. 1 Recruit Training Unit. The Air Force's basic recruit training school has a history dating back to 1939. Soldiering begins at Blamey Barracks, Kapooka, home of the khaki since 1942. Since 1993, Navy trade training has been conducted at RAAF Wagga.

Latest census data indicates there are more than 3,800 veterans in the Riverina electorate, of whom 1,426 reside in Wagga Wagga. For Labor to strip the funding allocated to a much-needed Wagga Wagga veterans wellbeing facility and plonk it in one of their own seats is appalling. People must come before politics. If ever a community deserved, needed, wanted or warranted a veterans wellbeing amenity, it is Wagga Wagga. This tricky government has denied Wagga Wagga that rightful opportunity. I will keep advocating and continue fighting to see common sense prevail and for Pro Patria and the local RSL to receive the funding our city and our region has earned. We need it. We want it. We demand it. I call on the veterans' affairs minister to come and visit Wagga and see for himself just how much we need it.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It feels like a long time since we formed government, and I guess that's because in the six months since the election and since we formed government we have achieved a lot. This address-in-reply contribution, apart from touching on the things we have achieved, gives me a chance to reflect on the federal election and on what was in the address-in-reply and what the commitments were from this government.

Since the address-in-reply of the federal government, we have had a state election in Victoria. As I was saying to my state colleagues on the weekend—and I do want to give a shout-out to Jacinta, Maree and Mary-Anne, all successfully returned to be Labor representatives in my electorate for their respective electorates—it was a lot calmer on the weekend for their election. At least it was calmer in Bendigo—I know it might have been different in other parts of Victoria—than what we experienced in the federal election. During the federal election, it did get quite nasty at points. There were a couple of freedom rallies that were held, but they weren't about freedom. They were about everything but freedom. There were people who came and harassed people participating in democracy. It was a shame to see that happen in our election. It was a shame to see people who were of an anti-vaccination view and an anti-lockdown view aggressively trying to push their views onto others to the extent that they were intimidating people from either participating as volunteers in the election or going through to vote early.

Despite that intimidation, despite that pressure that was coming from a very fringe group of our society—and they are a far-right fringe group of our society—it did not impact on the vote. There was a very good turnout in the Bendigo electorate. And it did not sway people to vote their way. In fact, my result in the election was the best result ever achieved by a member or a political party in the electorate since Federation. The only person to have done better in the electorate of Bendigo was Sir John Quick, who was elected unopposed in the first election at Federation. Sixty-two-plus per cent of people in the Bendigo electorate put a higher preference for me and Labor than the Liberal Party. That was a great endorsement of the Labor agenda and the positive campaign that we had put forward. People really got behind the vision that Labor had at the federal election and will, I think, be relieved and in some ways grateful that the rest of the country did the same and saw the election of a Labor government. We've been able to achieve a number of key commitments that we made at that election.

Before finishing my comments on the election, I thank my amazing electorate office and all our fantastic staff who continue to do great work in serving the people of Bendigo. My long-term office manager, Kate Sutherland, my amazing 2IC to Kate, Korey Fernando, and Erin, Flick and Alex, who are just phenomenal. A special shoutout to Erin, who will go on maternity leave in February to welcome her second beautiful child into this world. Thanks to all the volunteers that helped out. Thanks to Jacinta and Marie's office, who helped out. We had a really fun and calm election, and it showed amazing work of everyone coming together. I almost forgot a fantastic young man who has now gone to work for Katherine—a big shoutout to Jacob, who was a big part of our team in the lead-up to the election.

I also give a huge shoutout and thank you to my family. In the 46th parliament I had two children, so the difference between elections were that this time around we were trying to wrap-up early. I was glad it was a good result because I had two little toddlers who I was very keen to get home! My mum ran the food on the day, and did so again at the state election on the Saturday. She just loves elections, she loves the Labor Party—most days—and she really loves being involved. She was never a member of the Labor Party until I became a member of parliament, but she has really always had those very strong Labor values. She was very proud to see us be elected into government, and the forming of the Anthony Albanese Labor government.

A really big shoutout to Matt, my partner, and to his parents. I couldn't be a member of parliament or do the work that I do with two young children without the amazing support of my family. This is the first week that we have not travelled as a gang to Canberra. It's the first week in Daisy's life that we have spent more than 24 hours apart, and I've been able to do that not just because of COVID and the restrictions that were imposed, which meant that we did travel together so that I could participate in parliament, but also because my partner made career choices where he chose to go back to study so that we could travel here together as a family.

I could also do it because of the flexibility of child care here at Parliament House, and I raise that because it speaks to a broader problem that we have in our community around child care. As a member of parliament, we do have access to child care here at Parliament House on a casual basis, which is not the case for so many workers. When you enrol in child care, in 99 per cent of cases you're locked in for 12 months. There isn't that flexibility, and you pay whether the centre is open or not. You might get an absence from the government, but you still have to pay, and the absences count towards the days you get subsidised. Child care isn't just an expensive system; it's also a rigid system, and when we asked the Productivity Commission to look at child care we are looking at how we can make child care more universal. I'm hoping that when we look at that universal factor we'll look at the enrolment factor and the rigid nature. We want people to have access to early childhood education on a more flexible and more universal basis—not just for people who might travel and want to bring their young ones with them, or have places at multiple centres, or whatever works for their family, but also, particularly, for casual workers and shift workers. It's really hard for casual workers. They enrol their children into early childhood education. If their shifts get cancelled, they still have to pay for the day at child care. So what tends to happen is that people don't enrol their children in early childhood education if they're casual workers. They look to parents, grandparents, friends or neighbours. They look for more informal care because of the rigid nature of our system.

In Greater Bendigo, there is only one service that provides occasional care, and it's only if there's a spot available, and that's the centre that my children are at. If you are enrolled and you need an extra day, you might be able to get it if there's a vacancy—if somebody's on holidays—but it's not guaranteed, and you've got to already have your children there in care. So the system doesn't work well if you've got two parents in full-time work. It doesn't work well if you're a casual or a shiftworker. So I really look forward to the Productivity Commission review answering that question: how can we best deliver early childhood education to our youngest Australians to ensure that everyone has access to it?

The other point that I want to make on early childhood education, and on how important the reforms that we've already passed through this House were, is about affordability. Cheaper child care will make it possible for more parents, predominantly mums, to return to work or to pick up that extra day. We already know that the cost barrier associated with early childhood education is a disincentive. Mums don't return for that fourth or fifth day because they're essentially working to pay for child care. They end up going backwards. So cheaper child care will mean that more women can return to work. That unlocks so many extra hours and extra opportunities, getting skilled, productive workers back into our economy if they choose—and I emphasise 'if they choose', because some mums and some dads do want to do part-time work and be more involved in the early years, and that's their choice. But it shouldn't be their only choice, and that was what was so critical about the reforms that we moved through.

I should say too that, with the cost of child care, it's necessary that we have these higher subsidies. Next year, when you look at the average fees around Greater Bendigo, they will be about $150 per day. If you have two children in three days a week, your starting bill before subsidy is $45,000. That's a lot. How much subsidy you receive will depend on how much you earn. So we do need to urgently look at how we fund and structure early childhood education.

Next year we have three- and four-year-old kinder rolling out in Victoria. I'm really proud that our state Labor government will help deliver universal three- and four-year-old kinder. We know it makes a difference. Next year the three-year-old kinder will be the first of the COVID babies—children like my Daisy who had interrupted early years because of the lockdowns and the cancellations of many of their social activities. We're talking about a generation of little people who would have got through possibly the first 12 months of their lives without meeting another child. That's not normal. Little people, even from very young ages, learn from each other. When parents get together for their parent groups, whether they're catching up formally or informally, their little people get together and learn from each other. So we do have a generation of what we call the COVID babies who are starting to enter those critical years before primary school where the timing is perfect for this universal access that's rolling out, because it will ensure that we can catch up if there are any delays. We can work with their families to ensure that all of those kids are ready.

I've mentioned child care, but I also want to touch on Medicare. It does feel as if it was a minute to midnight when the Labor government—and it's only Labor governments that really do believe in Medicare and that fought for Medicare—was elected. Since the election we have seen, sadly, more bulk-billing services in my electorate move to a private billing model. It's heartbreaking to see that these services that had tried to survive for so long under the previous government and their many years of Medicare rebate freezes now just can't see enough patients in a day. The paperwork involved in seeing all those patients means that doctors are burning out and clinics are running at a loss, so they've had to move to the private billing model.

Labor's medium- to long-term commitment is to reinvest $1 billion into Medicare and GP services. It can't come soon enough. I am really worried about what will happen to the people in my electorate who no longer have access to a bulk-billing GP and can't afford the gap fee. I am worried about their health outcomes. I understand why clinics have done it and I do understand the stress that GPs are under, but I am worried that, because pensioners, families and those on a low income will now have to pay a gap fee when they previously didn't have to, they won't seek medical help.

That brings me to another real challenge that we as a nation have and that the government has inherited—the GP crisis. GPs are burnt out. We haven't trained enough GPs. We have to be honest about that. The majority of GPs coming through our medical schools are going to stay in the state hospital system. State governments are putting generous salaries on the table. A lot of those young doctors are choosing to be doctors in the state hospital system. Not all of them will specialise; they will stay as doctors in hospitals. Hospitals need doctors too. That is impacting on new GPs going into primary care and GP services. It compounds the problem that we have.

At least once a week I hear from a parent who has had to go to the ED at Bendigo with their child for what usually would be a GP visit—they are concerned about a cough. Once upon a time you would book into your GP. You would ring up and get an appointment with your GP. They'd checked the child out, listen to their chest to make sure it wasn't pneumonia or something more serious. Because waiting lists to see GPs are now so long—and you have to book three to four weeks in advance—when people ring the clinic the clinic is now saying, 'It's best that you go to the ED.' When you ring the nurse on call, they say, 'It's best that you go to the ED so someone can check your child's chest to make sure it's not something more than a cough or a virus.'

It shouldn't be that way. Medicare was built on the promise that it would be universal—that everyone, regardless of their postcode or income, could get access to primary health care when they need it. That's the dream we have to get back to. That's the goal we have. We need to start reinvesting in and rebuilding Medicare. We need to encourage young doctors to choose a career of general practice and of working in our primary care clinics. It's a challenge we've inherited and are stepping up to, but I do worry about the next 12 months and what is going to happen in our communities.

I'll switch topics to manufacturing. Another horrible, tragic, frustrating situation we inherited is defence manufacturing. The defence manufacturing area was in absolute chaos. In my electorate we proudly make the Bushmasters that are making such a difference for the Ukrainian people and government at the moment. We've all heard over and over again that they, whether it be their president or ambassador, now associate Australia with Bushmasters. We make them in Bendigo.

We also make in Bendigo the Hawkei, the son of the Bushmaster. On the day of the election about 600 of them were lined up on the lawns at Thales. The previous government had contracted Thales to build the Hawkeis as part of an early-stage Land 400 program. They were built in good faith, but the previous government didn't pay the bill. They did not pick them up. They just did not progress to the next stage of paying on delivery and receiving the Hawkeis. There are multiple reasons why that happened. We have since found out that there are problems with other stages of Land 400. Again it's the fault of the previous government. There are problems with delays in building and where the Hawkeis will go after coming into production. So the whole program that was managed by the previous government has been a disaster. Now we're left with a work issue on that site. Because there was no contract of work negotiated by the previous government for these workers to move into, about 30 have already been made redundant because of lack of work. The Hawkei build has finished; there's no work to do next.

I do appreciate that our new ministers that have come into the space are working with Thales and the Army to see if there's any other work that they can do whilst they try and secure export contracts with the UK and whilst they see whether there's a build that will happen for Ukraine. But those conversations take time. I am really worried about the future of this site. It's a mess that could have been avoided if the previous government had worked with Thales and done the proper planning so that we did not find ourselves in a situation where one contract ended and there was no contract to go to. It was a problem that they created across the defence manufacturing sector.

Housing is another massive issue in my electorate. We've committed to working with the states, local governments, industry and community not-for-profits to build a million homes. Those homes can't come soon enough. We have real estate agents who have waiting lists of about 100 people waiting for an opportunity to apply for a home. They don't even advertise when they've got vacancies now.

These are just a few of the urgent issues that we as a country need to address. They're not associated with my electorate; they affect many of us. These issues are ones that we need to address soon. We do have a plan and we're rolling it out. I just want to say to the Australian people and to the people of Bendigo: we understand and know what the pressures are. We're cleaning up the mess, and we're getting on with the job. I'm asking you to have a bit more patience because it will take a bit more time, but we are committed to reforming and doing the heavy lifting that needs to be done.

To the people in my electorate: given that this is probably the last time I'll speak this year, I wish you a very safe and prosperous new year and Christmas. It's a special time to celebrate and hold your loved ones close. Just remember that it is a good time to rest, relax and reflect. It's been a big year for all of us, but I particularly wanted to give a shout-out to all of our emergency workers and all our workers who'll work over this Christmas period. (Time expired)

Russell Broadbent (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I follow on from the member for Bendigo, who gave an address that outlined some of the problems that at all electorates face, especially in regional areas. I represent a regional area: the seat of Monash. Whilst it's more spread out than the seat of Bendigo, it has all the same issues, especially, as the member for Bendigo mentioned, around child care. Being a mum herself, with two beautiful children, she outlined perfectly the problems with the structure of child care. It's not about the money that the federal government put in or not. For me, it's about the number of places and opportunities for families to get child care. The problem in my area is that there are just not enough childcare places and, when there are new centres built, the opportunities for places in those centres are taken up so quickly that many people miss out.

As the member for Bendigo pointed out, there are difficulties around how families are locked into child care and don't have the opportunity for family day care. In my case, many years ago, we had a very large broader family who took all the responsibility for child care. Living in a country community like that, it takes a whole village to raise children, and my children were certainly raised by that wonderful community that I lived in.

Medicare is still an issues for all of us, which the member for Bendigo raised. Yes, it was meant to be a universal service, and, yes, I believe if you're in real trouble you can get help. But now, with the election of the new government, there have been changes to the arrangements for doctors and where they can and can't work. For us, the changes they've made that allow doctors to go to more suburban areas like Frankston, parts of the Hunter and those sorts of places where they couldn't go before of course mean that doctors will move from a regional area and go and work in a place like Frankston. Frankston is a beautiful spot. I don't like to use the word 'crisis', but it means we have a major difficulty confronting us in that we cannot attract doctors to regional areas. I shouldn't complain, because at least my people could travel 50 kays and get to a doctor. But there are people in parts of Australia now who would give their right arm to be able to travel just 50 kays to a doctor. So I realise this is an issue right around regional Australia. They want the opportunity to attend a doctor.

The services that are provided when people can't get in to see a GP now or, as the member for Bendigo said, have to move from a bulk-billing to fee-paying clinical centre—these are all issues affecting families that can least afford this. They need to be able to get to a bulk-billing centre. More than that, if they can't get in to see the doctor or they can't afford to go to the doctor, they'll go to the emergency department of the hospital.

Emergency departments in hospitals right around Victoria are already running at 101 per cent. They're already in real trouble. There are many reasons for that. There are people who are unvaccinated and can't work in the health system anymore. There are people who are exhausted or have COVID, or long COVID, and are not working in the health system at this time. So we're begging and borrowing staff from other centres. In aged care it's the same situation; they're short of staff. I don't have to go into hospitality and every other area that we're looking for people—it's the same thing. I heard an ad running on radio saying that if you work in hospitality or have some experience in hospitality, go and offer yourself. It doesn't matter where you go in the seat of Monash, there's a sign saying, 'We are hiring.' People are desperate for workers to be employed in hospitality.

Our hospitals are running on the smell of an oily rag. But I've been around long enough to know that the Andrews government, and the governments before his, took a lot of money out of the health system and ran it down. Now we're paying a terrible price for that, although last weekend we had an election campaign and the result didn't seem to worry the people of Victoria. The response was—I could be disappointed with the result of the election campaign—the Andrews government returned with a slightly smaller majority but a very strong majority in its own right.

My side of politics was smashed. That's the only way I can put it. They weren't beaten, they were smashed. We've got a lot of work to do as a party to earn the trust of the Australian people. A few minutes ago I received news that a highly regarded former member and now new member for Hawthorn, John Pesutto, has just claimed victory. I think we're doing very well in the seat of Packenham, which is my home town. I think we should get over the line there. I believe we're only a few votes behind in Bass, and I think we'll get over the line there as well. That will be defeating a Labor member of parliament who's been an excellent local member down in that area. Politics is a most difficult game. It's hard to get into, it's hard to stay there and it's very easy to be thrown out. You and I have both learned that over the years, Deputy Speaker Vasta.

Elections and interactions between parties are important. I had a big complaint today from someone who likes to contact me quite often. He said that he was disgusted with question time and the behaviour of the opposition. I've been in nearly every parliament since 1990. Question time is a robust exchange, where people have the opportunity to ask the government of the day questions and eke out their own place in this House. The public see question time. What they don't see is all the cooperative committee work that goes on in this House. They don't see the interaction between shadow ministers and ministers. They don't see the cooperation on the big issues of the day, where the members in this House—ministers, shadow ministers, prime ministers and opposition leaders—are putting the nation first in their consideration of what they're doing. Nobody sees that, because the press runs only the division and the approaches there.

I notice sitting at the table on our side tonight is the member for Berowra, Julian Leeser. Julian Leeser has taken on the mammoth task in opposition of dealing with the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which I've publicly and strongly supported and will continue to publicly and strongly support. There's an issue where the Nationals have decided they will not as a party support it. In my party there are people who are for it and opposed to it. It leaves the shadow minister in a place where he has to gently negotiate through and find the information that the government is putting forward on how the Statement from the Heart and the Voice to Parliament can be reasonably enacted, where most members of the House will support such a proposition, and that's a very hard job for a shadow minister. I thought I'd just give a shout-out to the shadow minister this evening and say that I think he has made an amazing start to his senior position in the party, and I congratulate him on all the work he has done. I wish you and your wife and your beautiful children a wonderful Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you too, Julian. Having said that, I still won't get a Christmas card from him, but I'll do the best I possibly can, having praised him up. But he is a dear friend of mine, and I wish him all the best in his endeavours.

We as a parliament enjoy the company of each other sometimes, and the public does not see us in that way. I think we've lost the trust of the Australian people to a degree. This has probably always been the case around politicians. It doesn't matter where you put your vote, you end up with a politician and all the jokes that go along with that. I'm of the opinion that this is a proud profession to be in, in service of the people that I represent, that you represent, Deputy Speaker Vasta, and every member of the lower House represents—their constituents. Sometimes an issue in their electorates becomes foremost in their position, and they are at odds with their own party. We have processes where we can deal with those. In the Labor Party you can't cross the floor without leaving the party. That's what Andrew Fisher put in place, and that was accepted by the group that began the Labor Party in Australia. On our side, when Menzies came in, he said: 'I have another view. I believe that you should be able to dissent from your own party and still continue in the role as a member of that party.' I have needed to do that on occasion myself. There have been many before me who have chosen to take that road. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody, because it's difficult and it's hard to do, but when you decide to make that stand it's usually for a very, very good reason.

As I said, we've had an election. The people of Victoria have spoken. I've spoken previously about the people of Australia having spoken with regard to the Morrison government. They made a decision, and they decided that it was time for the Liberal-Nationals to be no longer in the government's chairs. I entirely and completely accept that decision of the Australian people. It is a blessing to me that we have compulsory voting in this country, where everybody actually comes and participates in the process of democracy in Australia.

Even though I've been defeated a few times, I've been part of the changes of government, and I've watched how new governments perform and I've watched how oppositions fall into place, because one of the most important things you can have in a democracy—and I'll come back to the Victorian election—is a strong opposition that is prepared to put its case and question the government on every step that they take, because that's what the Australian people expect of us. My disappointment in Victoria is that the opposition parties have been smashed to the point where the government has a very strong mandate to go ahead and do whatever it wants to do, because we now have a diminished opposition—although the National Party did very well, and they secured the seat of Morwell that they'd once held through Russell Northe. But you have to have that strong opposition, and I don't know at this stage whether we'll be able to mount the strength of opposition that we need to hold the government in Victoria to account.

It's been a long time since we had a change of government in Victoria, and it may be even longer now, because of the numbers that are there, before an opposition may—may—be able to rally the numbers to change the government in Victoria. In fact, the Liberals have only governed Victoria for three or four years out of the last 27 years. That is a long time for a government, and there can be arrogance about that in government. I hope that's not the case in Victoria.

I'd like to conclude by saying: whatever happens in this nation, whatever happens in each state, each of us has more things in common than things that divide us. I started speaking about the member for Bendigo. She went through the various issues, and I just have to say to you that we happen to be co-chairs of the asbestosis awareness group, which we have worked on together for some years now. I enjoy the interaction with Ms Chesters, the member for Bendigo, in that role, making Australians aware of the dangers of asbestos to them and their children if it's handled badly. So, to me, there is more in this place that endears us to each other, and the things that we have in common are far greater in this Christmas period. In this time when this parliament is wrapping up for the year, we recognise the importance of the relationships we have with one another, with our staff, with the Speaker and deputy speakers and with all the people who are, as I spoke of the other night, the keepers of the springs in this place. Without them, it would not work. So it is crucial that we remember at this time of year how important relationships are and how important our own relationships are inside and outside this house. So I take this opportunity to wish everybody a very merry Christmas, and especially a merry Christmas to the keepers of the wells.

Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I might indulge just for a moment, because the member for Monash often gives the speakers prior to him a few comments and a few generous words. If I may, there are two things I admire about the member for Monash. One is that we often disagree in this place but the member for Monash always disagrees respectfully, and he is someone who always respects different views and does so in a very calm, kind and considered way. The other thing I admire about the member for Monash is that there is an authenticity about the member for Monash that not every member in this place has. You always know where the member for Monash stands. He is true to himself. That sometimes means he moves slightly to the edges of the party lines, but I think he's constantly true to himself. He is an authentic member in this place, and we are better for it, and I acknowledge the member for Monash.

There are so many people to thank. I will go through some of them, but I would firstly remark that the election result in Macnamara this year was extremely close, and I am extremely privileged and proud to be here, to be standing in this incredible room to represent the people of Macnamara. While I am humbled by the fact that the Labor Party was the party that was awarded the most primary votes at this election, there were a considerable number of votes put in the trust of other political parties. That's something that I take with great humility and with great respect for my political opponents. They worked extremely hard, and I acknowledge them, all of their volunteers and all of the true believers across the political divide. Our democracy was in full flight in Macnamara; it was a beautiful thing.

We had seven debates in the lead-up to the election, which kept me busy in the last few weeks. We had the climate debate hosted by the Port Phillip climate emergency group, PECAN. We had two Southbank debates, both with different community groups in Southbank. We had a debate hosted by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Albert Park. We had a debate hosted in St Kilda by a community group called Unchained, and then we had a debate on JOY FM on Saturday morning—not JOY FM, JOY 94.9. Sorry about that to my friends Macca and Tass who are on JOY 94.9. That is the wonderful LGBTIQ community radio station.

So democracy was alive in Macnamara. It was a real contest, and a lot of people put a lot of hours into it. A large number of candidates put their hand up and nominated to be the member for Macnamara, and, for the second time, I am deeply grateful to the people of Macnamara for giving me this privilege. But I also will acknowledge Colleen Harkin, from the Liberal Party, and especially Steph Hodgins-May. She was the Greens candidate. It's not the first time she has run, and she and her volunteers put in an extremely strong campaign. At the Victorian election, she became a mum for the second time, to a baby girl. Congratulations to Steph and her partner, Ogy, and to Otis, her son. I wish them all the best for the next chapter as their little family grows.

To my team: I am extremely proud of all of the effort—all of the time and dedication and heart—that went into supporting our campaign in Macnamara. I can say proudly that two of the key pillars of my campaign have gone on to bigger and better things. They've left the humble Macnamara team and my team to go on to do better things. One of my staff members has joined the Prime Minister's office. I won't embarrass him by saying that he's joined us in the chamber today, but it was a great achievement and he's certainly a worthy member of that high office. Dean will do the absolute best that he can, not only for the Prime Minister but also for the people of Australia.

The other person I would like to acknowledge is Belinda Wilson. Belinda Wilson is an extraordinary person. She has hustle and heart and drive. It's not a surprise that the Labor Party preselected her to be the candidate for Narre Warren North in the state election that we just had, and I'm extremely proud that one of my former team members got elected to become the member for Narre Warren North. She will make an almighty contribution for the people of Narre Warren North.

The people of Narre Warren North have a representative who will work as hard as she possibly can to deliver the things that they need—better schools, better roads, better transport and better health care. She will work with everything she's got to deliver for them, and I congratulate her, my dear friend Belinda, for becoming a member of the state parliament. I congratulate Willow, Bridie, Kane, Ned and the whole Wilson family on their fantastic achievement. It was a group effort.

I also want to acknowledge my other campaign team, Roman and Alex, who were just tireless in the way they corralled volunteers, came out doorknocking with me and made phone calls with me. We spoke to thousands of people in Macnamara, and for months on end they—especially Roman—were determined. Every bit that they contributed helped get us over the line. In such a tight contest, they helped to deliver votes via their simple conversations about why they were there, why they wanted to see a Labor government, why they wanted to see an end to the Morrison government and what it meant for them and their friends.

I also want to acknowledge my other staff members. Some of them have left, but I'm going to mention all of those who have worked in my office, because I'm proud of all of them—Adam, Adele, Ariel, Dakota, Deborah, Joseph and Ryan—and my former staff members, Belinda, Mickey, my dear friend Millie, Ella, John, who still gives me advice when I deserve it, Toby and Simon.

We had 31 booths across Macnamara, and I want to thank all of those booth captains who stood out there all day, especially those scrutineers. Not just on election day, but we had scrutineers in Macnamara for about 10 days after in a cold shed in Port Melbourne. They were just tireless and made sure every vote was counted in the appropriate way, and I appreciate all of their hard work. I especially want to mention Millie, who led the scrutineering team in the cold shed after doing nursing shifts, and Jane, who came in every single day with her clipboard. I think Jane had the strike rate of picking up any ballots that weren't 100 per cent in order—so, Jane, I really appreciate you.

I couldn't have done this campaign without my campaign committee—Abby, Julia, Louise, Raff, Simone, Toby, Ricky, Wesser and Adam. They were constant in their advice, but more so in their hard work. We met regularly and we helped corral, fundraise and make the campaign in Macnamara happen.

I also want to make mention of the incredible Labor team in head office. We have won this year, in 2022, thanks to Chris Ford, our state secretary, and his team of assistant secretaries, and thanks to other staff members of Cam Petrie and Nicola Castleman. We hold 21 seats in Victoria. We certainly hold the majority of seats in Victoria at a federal level. And now, for the third time, we've been re-elected at the state level under the leadership of Daniel Andrews. But that campaigning machine has done a remarkable job. Two from two isn't bad. It's not every year that you have a Labor victory federally and at a state level. That head office team in Victoria did such a tireless job. I pay tribute to them and their professionalism. I thank them for everything that they did for me, and, of course, I also pay tribute to national office headed by my good friend Paul Erickson, who I admire very much. He is one of the best political minds, one of the hardest workers and one of the most decent people I've come across.

I also want to give an acknowledgement to a couple of people who helped me on the sidelines, as well, who I've turned to when I needed advice. One is my dear friend Ari Suss, who I owe a lot to. He is someone who has been a friend and someone who has been there for me as a mentor and as someone I know has always looked out for my interests. I deeply appreciate everything he's done for me.

I also want to acknowledge the late Kimberley Kitching, who was working on the Macnamara campaign right up until she passed away. I've spoken about her in this place and in others. I thank Kimberley. She loved Macnamara; she really loved the community of Macnamara. She thought all of the little nooks and crannies were just wonderful—as I do. She saw the beauty in my electorate and she knew it as well as anyone. She understood the strategy and the politics of it. And I pay tribute to her.

Of course I realise that to be in this place and to become a member of parliament you really have to give everything you've got. There is no such thing as a safe seat. It's physically and intellectually and emotionally the most draining and exhausting experience that I've ever been through. You are just constantly tested and constantly pushed. While the ebbs and flows of being a member of parliament are extraordinary, nothing quite compares to the campaign. But you cannot give of yourself and lead a team through that without the people who you love, especially your family.

I'm extremely fortunate to have such an incredible support network. I don't know how many people came up to me and said, 'I saw your mum on the corner of South Melbourne Market,' or 'I saw your dad handing out bags,' or 'Your dad came and delivered corflutes to my home'—or whatever they were doing. My parents have been extraordinary supporters, and I'm deeply grateful to them for all of their love and all of their support. They have enabled and supported me to do everything that I have chosen to do in this world. Of course I also thank my brother and my sister.

Most of all, I thank my wife, Zoe, who, throughout the campaign, gave me all the support I needed to pour everything I had into this campaign. She runs a small business and is doing extremely well and works extremely hard, but she is someone I couldn't do this job without, and I appreciate everything she did for me throughout the campaign. We must be doing something okay because our daughter, Tia, is the best thing in the entire world. Being away from her is the worst part of this job. I hope that one day, once this is all done, we can look back and realise that the work we did was worth it and that the time we spent away and the sacrifices we made were worth it. The time my family spends together is the best part of my life. I hope and look forward to seeing my daughter grow up and do everything she needs to do in this world.

In the last few minutes I'll just touch on some of the things that I saw in the election and what I'm going to try and do this term. The top of the list for the people of Macnamara at the last election was to take climate change and environmental management seriously and to be sincere in our endeavour to try and turn this global challenge around. It is something I've heard from so many people I represent and it's something I take extremely seriously. I hope that when I reflect on my career—whenever that is—that is something people will say I was consistent on. We must be a part of the generation that does everything we can to tackle climate change. I believe we can and I'm proud of the measures we've already taken. I am proud that we now have a climate change bill. I am proud that we are moving towards electric vehicles. I am proud that we've signed international pledges. I am proud that they're going to designate 30 per cent of our environment for wildlife. I'm proud of the fact that we're transitioning, which is an extraordinarily massive task.

To transition from the power that has enabled not only economic prosperity but also the function of our society into something completely different is unprecedented. It is something that should not be underestimated, but it's something that we have to do and it's something that I am determined to be a part of. Of course, we need to have leadership in environmental management, and that is something that I am confident the Minister for the Environment, when she responds to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act review by Professor Samuels, will address when she comes to this place with a legacy of reform that we can all be proud of.

The other thing that people had at the top of their agenda was the way politicians conduct themselves in the chamber. They said that they conduct themselves with professionalism and dignity in their workplaces across Macnamara. They respect their colleagues, and I think they expect, when looking at this place, the same sort of integrity and the same sort of professionalism that they uphold in their own workplaces. I don't think that parliament reflects that. We need a more constructive parliament, but they also said they wanted to see a change in the institutions that ensure that we have the highest possible standards in this place. I'm extremely proud of my good friend the Attorney-General who has navigated through the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which will be a great legacy of his and of this parliament. Many members have contributed to the legislation for the establishment of this commission, and it is a sign that this is a collaborative and forward-thinking parliament. It's a parliament that believes in institutions and creating organisations and government agencies to help to lift the standard of behaviour in politics while giving confidence to the Australian people that we in this place take our job seriously. We take our responsibility seriously and we want to ensure that we are striving for high standards in high office.

Another big issue that people resoundingly raised with me was the cost of living. If you are a young person in this country and you're entering the workplace, you will be going into a workplace with as high a rate of casual employment as we've had in the history of our country. At the same time, it's never been harder to get into the housing market. If you're female, you're more likely to be paid less and you're more likely to work in industries where the pay is significantly lower for women than it is for men. You're also likely to retire with less superannuation. We have huge economic obstacles, and the design of our economy and the way in which it functions means that we in this place, because we hold the biggest levers in our economy, need to strive to use these levers so that the economy works for Australian people and so that Australian people, when they complete their 40 to 45 years of working for our wonderful country, have something to show for it. It's why increasing wages is a very important endeavour. It's why moving away from casualised work towards permanent work is a really important endeavour. It's why I'm proud of our industrial relations reform. It's why I'm proud of the budget that we have set down, but I acknowledge that there is more work to be done.

We are very, very lucky to be here, and I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to be a member of this great institution. I believe in the House of Representatives, and I believe in our parliament. I believe it can be a force for good. For however long I serve the people of Macnamara, I'll do so to the best of my ability and with the utmost effort. But it is not possible without the support of the wonderful people of Macnamara, and for that I say a very deep thank you to them.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to start by acknowledging the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people who are traditional custodians of the land on which we stand. I also acknowledge the traditional custodians of Warringah and pay my deep respect to our diverse First Nations communities, the traditional custodians, elders past, present and emerging on whose country we work. The history of Warringah is complex, and there is a need for healing. I express my heartfelt thanks to local communities and am committed to nurturing the world's oldest adapting culture and our first people's connections to land, sea, and sky. To that end I welcome the commitment of the government to enshrine an Indigenous voice in the Constitution and to hold a referendum next year.

It's been far too long coming. It's more than five years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart dialogues concluded and Professor Megan Davis so powerfully read out the statement to the crowd at Uluru and to Australia. The referendum is another step on the long journey towards reconciliation and closing the gap. However, it's a vitally important step and one which will guarantee that Indigenous people have a say over their future through a permanent voice to parliament. It's an issue that I and many of my constituents feel passionately about, and I'm sure that we in Warringah will once again demonstrate our caring and inclusive nature through our engagement with the referendum process. I'd like to acknowledge the Warringah team and our wonderful community who worked tirelessly throughout the last term to ensure that I was returned to this place to represent them once more.

We know that over the next three years there will be challenges. The economy is not in a good place. We face a lot of challenges. But there is hope in a new way of doing business through investment in innovation, research and development, while improving the value we get for public money. I've committed to champion a new circular economy to build on sustainable inclusive growth. We need to build on innovation, research and development, where our best minds are inventing new products and solutions and delivering prosperity to all Australians. I welcome the tabling today of the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation Bill 2022. We can build back better, smarter and more efficient. But we do need budget discipline, and that is something we need to very much focus on.

Warringah will continue to be climate leaders and will advocate for an acceleration of our ambition to meaningfully contribute to acting on and stopping global warming. There's no hope of reining in the cost of living without climate action. Just think: food, fuel, insurance—climate disasters are the major contributors to cost spikes. In the last three years alone, we've had fires and floods with immeasurable emotional and personal costs to communities. We are heading towards $1.2 trillion of debt by 2060, so it is urgent that we act and that we accelerate our ambition. I commend the government for passing the Climate Change Act 2022, but we must make sure that we keep improving and accelerating. It took pressure from the crossbench to strengthen it, to make it dependent on scientific advice and to set a target of keeping warming below 1.5 degrees. These actions show that we can absolutely do better, and we need to stop subsidising fossil fuels. We are in a critical decade. The latest IPCC report is a clear warning that we must do more by 2030 and beyond. We must transform our energy to renewables, clean up transport, modernise industry, regenerate Australia and stop deforestation. We must stop approving new coalmine and gas projects. We simply cannot keep making the problem worse.

Warringah is a beautiful place, and Australia is a unique and biodiverse country. We need to act to protect our local environment. That's why I am so pleased and proud of Our Community, Roadmap to Zero and other important local initiatives. We need to protect our oceans, beaches and coasts by opposing offshore oil and gas exploration and boosting investment in ocean research and development. We need to end seismic testing in our oceans and safeguard our flora, fauna and heritage by working with community groups, trusts and conservation organisations. We need stronger environmental legislation. And we need to stop using so much plastic and stop packaging. We need to develop the infrastructure to make sure we are properly processing it.

We need to make sure our communities are healthy and connected, with responsible and proportionate responses to challenges. We need to improve mental health, treat health—whole-body health, physical and mental—in a total and holistic way and modernise and increase channels to access health care. I note the time, and I seek leave to continue any remarks at a later date.

Leave granted.

Debate adjourned.