TRANSCRIPT: AFTERNOON BRIEFING WITH PATRICIA KARVELAS 8th JUNE 2026
Subjects: Telstra Outage, Labor’s Housing Target E&OE STARTS: 4.30pm ENDS: 4.38pm PATRICIA KARVELAS I want to bring in my political panel for today, Josh Burns is a Labor MP and a special envoy for social housing and homelessness, Michael McCormack is the Shadow Veterans Affairs and Water Minister. Welcome to both of you. MICHAEL McCORMACK Thank you, Patricia, hello […]
TRANSCRIPT: SKY NEWS – NEWSDAY WITH TRUDY MCINTOSH 8th JUNE 2026
Subjects: Telstra Outage, Pacific Island Relations, New Veterans Cap E&OE STARTS: 1.19pm ENDS: 1.28pm TRUDY MCINTOSH The Prime Minister says the nation deserves answers, as the probe continues into the cause of Telstra’s major outage. Joining me live now is the Shadow Minister for Water and Veterans Affairs, Michael McCormack. Michael, good to see you. Is this […]
ADJOURNMENT – Wright, Mr Edward (Bruce) OAM
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (19:59): Bruce Wright was given a much deserved sapphire pin to go with his Paul Harris Fellow. He started the Tumbarumba High School and Tumbarumba Rotary Club’s Kokoda Track back in 2006 with Grant Harris. Tony a’Beckett and Lachlan Mackenzie were also given well-deserved pins at the changeover dinner for this wonderful little […]
Federation Chamber – PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS – Nuclear Weapons
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (19:11): I too acknowledge the number of Pacific Islanders in our midst and thank you for your attendance. I also acknowledge the member for Macquarie and her motion before the Federation Chamber. Her motion notes, among many things, the 80th anniversary of the start of nuclear weapons testing in the Blue Pacific. It […]
BILLS – Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026, Aviation Consumer Protection (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026, Aviation Consumer Protection Levy Bill 2026, Aviation Consumer Protection Levy (Collection) Bill 2026 – Second Reading
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (12:21): I rise to speak on behalf of the opposition on the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026 and related bills. At the outset, let me be clear. The coalition supports stronger protections for airline passengers. Australians deserve reliable air services, fair treatment when things go wrong and confidence that the aviation system is […]
Federation Chamber – ADJOURNMENT – Water
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (11:17): The late, great Governor-General and Chairman of Soils for Life, Michael Jeffery, in a book written by Colleen McCullough—a mighty writer—entitled Water is Life and published in 2016, had this to say: ‘River systems and water have played a central role in sustaining human populations, but the United Nations reports that one-fifth of the […]
Federation Chamber – CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS – National Disability
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (09:46): Nicola Cave is a constituent of mine, a young Wagga Wagga mother of three, as she says, ‘incredible’ children. She writes: ‘If you’d asked me seven years ago whether I understood disability, I would have said yes. Of course I did. I spent my high school and uni years teaching children with […]
BILLS – Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 – Second Reading
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (16:17): The Housing Industry Association’s executive director for compliance and workplace relations, Stuart Collins, has some advice for this Labor government. He said: This bill— the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026— is being sold as a modest administrative tidy-up of the Fair Work Commission. It is not. […]
STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS – Budget
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (13:51): I appreciate the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has a lot on her plate with the avian flu situation at the moment—and I commend her for her work to ensure that we are, as a country, on top of that—but, Minister, why oh why, through the chair, have you cut, in […]
Federation Chamber – BILLS – Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals) Bill (No. 1) 2026 – Second Reading
Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (11:59): It is said that one in every four jobs in Australia is reliant on trade, and perhaps, if we really gave that a lot of thought, it would actually be a lot higher. Three million full-time equivalent Australian jobs, or thereabouts, rely on international trade. They’re big numbers. Trade related activities underpin […]