Address to Parliament- Matters Of Public Importance – Cost of Living
We’ve just had 10 minutes of dares, diversion, distractions; everything but him, the Assistant Treasurer, coming to the dispatch box and saying ‘Yes, we’ve had six months and one day in office and we could have done more; we should have done more; we’ve let the Australian people down.’ He talked about honesty in his […]
Address to Parliament – Private Members’ Business – Road Safety
As much as I like the member for Macquarie, I have to say that I earnestly disagree with some of the comments that he made—scripted, of course, from the Albanese government’s talking points. I headed up many infrastructure and transport ministers meetings. I went to those meetings in good faith. I implored some of those […]
Address to Parliament – Private Members’ Business – Fortem Australia
I thank the member for McPherson for bringing this motion forward. I thank the member for Solomon for his service to our nation, and I note his comments in relation to the Scott Palmer Services Centre in Darwin, a wonderful facility. I also note the fact that it will deliver services not just for our […]
Address to Parliament – Private Members’ Business – Economy
I very solidly and earnestly and stridently support this motion put forward by the member for Menzies. The member for Bruce has just given us a five-minute dissertation and asked a few questions. There were no facts—I say this as he scurries out of the Federation Chamber—about his trillion-dollar debt claim. It is not $1 […]
Address to Parliament – Constituency Statements – Police Citizens Youth
I very much look forward to, at 9.30 this Friday morning in Fitzhardinge Street, taking part in the official opening of the new state-of-the-art, world-class PCYC community centre. PCYC, as we all know, is a fun community club. It’s home to the PCYC Emergency Service Cadets program, and in 2022—just this Friday—they’re going to be […]
Address to Parliament – Matters of Public Importance – Budget
The member for Canberra asks: what did we achieve in nearly 10 years of government? The final two years were very difficult, Member for Canberra. I can remember being in those top-level meetings when we were being told by the Chief Medical Officer that we could expect tens of thousands of Australians to die from […]
Address to Parliament – Statement on Australia’s floods
On some points I do agree with the member for Lyons. The fact is that we need to do more. I’m hoping that the federal government, in conjunction with the states, can do more, particularly when it comes to building the necessary water infrastructure for flood mitigation. Building dams is not just about flood mitigation. […]
Address to Parliament – Fair Work Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
We once had, in this place, a policy called ‘‘Fightback!” It didn’t work so well. Now we have ‘payback.’ This is payback. This is the Labor Party’s payback. This is what they’re going to do for the unions. Brought to the unions in time for the union Christmas parties, rushed through the federal parliament with […]
Address to Parliament – Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme Amendment Bill 2022
Thank you for your service, Deputy Speaker Wilkie, and thank you for the service provided to our armed services by all of those who now sit in the parliament. I also say thank you to those members, including the member for Blair, who I know has spoken on this particular motion. Thank you for your […]
Address to Parliament – Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
Australia’s First World War historian, Charles Bean, was struck by the futility of what was referred to as the Great War. I said in my contribution earlier on the defence home ownership bill that there is nothing great about war. Writing after Pozieres, he said: … there is only one way out of this war […]