Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Right now so many people across the country are doing it tough. The rising cost of living and the uncertainty of the future of our planet are weighing heavily on our communities. With critical frontline services underfunded and a government that won't take urgent action to address their concerns, it's no wonder that so many people don't know where to turn to for help.

Today I want to provide some hope to all of those listening. My office has had the privilege of helping countless constituents since I was first elected to represent Queensland over 12 years ago, and I want to share with you a few of the incredible achievements that my team have secured in the last few months. After three years of intervention from my office, we helped secure a permanent visa for a stateless Rohingya family separated from their father in Queensland. We've assisted a disabled mother and son escaping domestic violence by helping to secure a disability-accessible property in just a few days. We secured wheelchair funding and a new plan for an NDIS participant who had outgrown their wheelchair and had been waiting more than seven months for their application to be heard. Our advocacy through Services Australia has wiped family tax benefit debts for victims of domestic and family violence, and we've secured thousands of dollars in back payments for people facing delays in their income support applications.

Each of these stories—and these are just a selection—is a testament not only to my wonderful staff team but to the core principles of the Greens and our grassroots movement, a movement powered by persistence, compassion and community. These stories remind me—and I hope they remind anyone listening—that, even when things seem impossible, real positive change is always possible. My team hears you and will fight for you every single day until everyone can enjoy the good life they deserve.