Steph Hodgins-May (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens join the Prahran community in calling on the government to stop the closure of the Prahran AusPost in Pran Central. This post office, which is slated for closure on 22 November, is a lifeline for the residents of Prahran and South Yarra. Replacing this post office with a self-service kiosk will significantly impact residents, especially older migrants, people with disabilities and those who struggle with digital-only services. We can't allow this essential service to operate as just another for-profit business. Post offices are an important part of our social fabric, yet under Labor's watch these public institutions continue to be eroded. I and the Greens will continue to campaign alongside our local community to keep the doors of Prahran's AusPost open.

It was a privilege to attend Research Australia's 2024 awards night to present the Frontiers Award to the Centre for Microbiome Research. I got to speak to extraordinary leaders in their research fields. I met Professor Russell Gruen, a world-leading specialist trauma surgeon; Dr Jane Tiller, a champion for banning the use of genetic results in insurance underwriting; the wonderful Professor Misty Jenkins AO, a leading brain cancer immunologist; and Professor Brendan Crabb, Director and CEO of the Burnet Institute and a leading infectious disease researcher who is here today. We reflected on the remarkable accomplishments of researchers and scientists in this country, from Sir Macfarlane Burnet's Nobel Prize-winning research into immune tolerance, to the development of the cochlear implant, to the development of the HPV vaccine, which has lowered the risk of HPV related cancer for women around the world—absolutely amazing stuff.

The health of our nation relies heavily on the ingenuity and dedication of our researchers and scientists. The government must increase direct spending on science, research and development, which is at its lowest point in three decades. We must treat medical and health research as an investment, not as a cost.