Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024
This is legislation that is completely necessary for us to change the course for our young people. This legislation broadly aims to set a minimum age of 16 for Australians to hold social media accounts. It requires age-restricted social media companies to take reasonable steps to prevent age-restricted users from having an account with their social media platform.
New South Wales State Emergency Service
I rose to acknowledge and thank the men and women of New South Wales State Emergency Service. Our SES volunteers are often the first on the spot to assist our firies with bushfires, they rescue people in storms, they are out there in all of the elements, and they are volunteers.
Cost of Living: Fertility Rate
In October of this year, the Government Centre for Population released its research policy and paper 'Fertility decline in Australia: is it here to stay?' That had some very troubling statistics in it and some very troubling news for us, as a country, going forward. Essentially, the paper provides that fertility rates in Australia continue to decline—they have continued to decline over the past 2½ years under this Albanese Labor government.
Free TAFE Bill 2024
I fail to understand why this government has an obsession, I suppose it is, with TAFE and not with general VET training overall.
Personal Explanations
The member for McEwen recently issued a social media post claiming that I was asked questions about robodebt deaths and responded in a certain way. This is disingenuous.
Women's Rights
I asked why are left-leaning parliamentarians in Labor and the Greens so hypocritical about the plight of women? Let me be clear: they have had plenty to say in this place and the other about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as it is affecting Palestinian women, yet they are silent about Israeli women who were raped to death on 7 October last year.
Workforce Shortages
I rise to speak on the motion brought in relation to the workforce shortages that Australia is currently experiencing under this Albanese Labor government.
United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
The elimination of violence against women is something I think all of us in this place are absolutely committed to addressing. I recently met with one of my constituents, Aaron Myers who asked me to speak up about this issue
Miscarriage Stillbirth and Neonatal Death
Every year, 15 October marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. It acknowledges the shared loss experienced by parents, friends and healthcare workers of those little ones lost too soon, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or by any other loss.
Migration Amendment Bill 2024
I rose to speak on the Migration Amendment (Strengthening Sponsorship and Nomination Processes) Bill 2024. This bill implements certain measures from the government's Migration Strategy, 'Getting migration working for the nation', related to skilled visas.
Labor fails to deliver new housing
I rose to speak on the government's failure to deliver the new housing that Australia needs. I think it's unfortunate now that the Minister for Housing is leaving the chamber and will not be around to hear what we have to say about her failed housing policy.
National Broadband Network Companies Amendment Bill 2024
Just by way of background, the Rudd Labor government—we all remember that Labor government—announced the establishment of a new NBN Co to build and operate a new fast national broadband network.
Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024
I rose to speak about the Better and Fairer Schools (Funding Reform) Bill 2024, which deals with government funding of public schools.
Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Bill 2024
The system is often extremely bureaucratic. We have failed many veterans who have returned from overseas duties very different to the way that they left, and we have not properly addressed the areas of not just physical health but mental health, suicidality and, in too many instances, suicide itself.
Banking and Financial Services
It seems that APRA had failed to consult with industry, and it provided no evidence to support the change in policy. So, straightaway, when a regulator with the power of APRA conducts an inquiry and there's a lack of consultation in that way, it does raise serious questions. In Australia we have a banking sector that is already subject to considerable prudential regulation, and I think overall it's intelligent in its approach to ensuring the banking sector's resilience to financial market stress.
Gambling harm is destroying lives
In June 2023 I signed a report, concerning online gambling restrictions. In December 2023 the minister said she would ensure a policy would be resolved 'expeditiously' and would be announced 'without delay'. It is now October 2024 and the government still has not arrived at a policy.
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels is a tremendous service organisation existing throughout our nation. It provides nutritious, affordable meals, fresh and frozen, delivered by volunteers, to anyone who is no longer able to prepare meals or has difficulty preparing meals due to age, disability or a temporary condition.