Zali Steggall Climate Change Bill

Labor welcomes any constructive effort to progress climate action and looks forward to continuing to engage with Zali Steggall about her Bill.

Labor supports any opportunity to debate the need for action on climate change in the Parliament.

For Zali Steggall’s Bill to be considered, Scott Morrison would need to allow a full debate in the Parliament.

When Labor moved a motion to declare a Climate Emergency last October, Scott Morrison wouldn’t allow the question to be debated at all.

Scott Morrison and his divided government have never taken action on climate change seriously.

The latest official government emissions data confirms Australia will not meet our Kyoto commitment to cut emissions by 5 per cent by 2020.

In fact, emissions reduction will amount to little more than a rounding error of 0.3 per cent, putting the lie to the Prime Minister’s claim that we are meeting and beating our international commitments.

The government’s own data suggests emissions will come down during the next 10 years by only less than 5 per cent.

At that rate, it will take Australia 230 years to reach net zero emissions, rather than the 30 years scientists tell us is necessary.

Strong climate action is needed, not only to protect the prosperity of future generations of Australians and to meet our international obligations, but also to deliver prosperity today by modernising our economy and adapting to inevitable climate impacts.

The core principles that underpin climate action remain unshakeable Labor commitments.

Labor will be in the position to do something about climate change at the next election – and we will.

To get real action on climate change, Australia needs a new Government.

Modified Monash Model – Murwillumbah

Recent changes under the Modified Monash Model have seen Murwillumbah reclassified from a regional to a metropolitan area.

Murwillumbah, which is a regional town of 9,000 people, is now classified in the same category as Australia’s major cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Murwillumbah is not a major city, and my local community have rightly raised their concerns with me about this bizzare reclassification.

This reclassification will have severe implications for Murwillumbah including:
• the reduction of incentives for medical professionals including rural Bulk Billing Incentives, Workforce Incentive Programs and,
• the Bonded Medical Program.

The reclassification to metropolitan also means medical practices in Murwillumbah will only be available to General Pathway registrars and no longer to Rural Pathway registrars.

This means that young doctors who choose the Rural Pathway can no longer train in medical practices located in Murwillumbah.

Incentives that attracted—and maintained—medical practitioners to our area have now been completely removed.

Make no mistake: this decision will mean less bulk billing and fewer doctors in Murwillumbah.

This classification change will make it extremely difficult to attract new GPs to Murwillumbah as there are now no available regional or rural incentive payments for medical practitioners in this community.

GPs are an integral part of rural and regional communities like Murwillumbah and their skills reflect the specific needs of their community.

I have written to the Minister for Health to urgently request that the government revise this classification.

In this case it’s clear that the reclassification of Murwillumbah from regional to metropolitan is an unfair and damaging decision.

I believe that this decision must be revisited, as the complex health needs of the people of Murwillumbah and surrounding areas require incentives to get GPs to the town.

The real concern is that the number of GPs will significantly decline due to the new classification.

Medical specialists are often located too far away for locals to access and this often increases the workload of local GP’s.

The fact is that the workload of GPs in Murwillumbah is vastly different from that in other regional and rural areas.

That is why we need to have incentives in place to attract health professionals to this area.

It really is a case, I think, of the government ignoring the local issues and the local concerns that have been put to the minister.

Murwillumbah needs more GPs, and the fact is, no incentives means fewer doctors.

Australia has a long history of supporting international efforts to aid peace and security in the Middle East.

This includes the commitment last year of Australian Defence Force personnel and assets to the multi-national maritime security assistance mission in the Straits of Hormuz.

Recent events in the Middle East have heightened tensions in the region.

The safety and security of Australian personnel deployed in the region is of upmost importance.

The Government must clarify the implications of recent events for Australia’s commitments in the Middle East and the safety of our personnel deployed in the region.

Scott Morrison and Linda Reynolds must confirm that our personnel are safe and that there has been no change to their mission.

Labor is concerned at the potential for escalation in the region and we call on all sides to show restraint.

The Government needs to provide assurances that our personnel continue to play their critical role in the region and that force posture and protection arrangements reflect the prevailing environment.

The Government should also be seeking an update from Washington on US strategy in the region and the impact of recent developments on the fight against ISIL.

SCOTT MORRISON ABOLISHES THE ARTS DEPARTMENT

The Liberal-National Party attacks on Australia’s arts sector appear set to worsen following Scott Morrison’s appalling decision to abolish the department responsible for arts policy and funding.

Under Morrison’s public sector restructure, federal arts policy will be subsumed by the new Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications – leaving no department with arts in the title. It’s hard to see this as anything other than a downgrade to arts policy.

Australia’s artists, actors, filmmakers, writers, musicians and broader creative community has every right to be concerned by this decision – apparently made without any consultation with the sector.

And it’s not just the people who make their living from our creative industries who should be worried.

It’s every member of the public who enjoys seeing Australian stories on the screen or stage, enjoys reading Australian stories on the page, or enjoys hearing live or recorded Australian music.

But this is not just about Australian culture and identity. Our cultural and creative industries contribute upwards of $100 billion to the economy a year – and deserve to be supported by our federal politicians.

Given the Liberal-National Party’s shocking record of cutting arts funding, this move is a terrible sign of what’s to come.

Morrison must explain how rolling arts policy into the department responsible for roads and railways can possibly be a good thing. And he must reveal how many arts employees will be culled in this merger.

Even the outgoing head of the soon-to-be-former Department of Communications and the Arts, Mike Mrdak, says he and his team were not consulted about this shocking and short-sighted change.

The government of Australia should back Australian culture. This lot doesn’t.

Religious Discrimination Bill

Labor recognises that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and strongly supports a person’s right to manifest their religion or beliefs. As a principle, we believe that religious belief, just like gender, sexuality and race, is an aspect of a person’s identity that deserves protection in Australian law.

As with the original exposure draft of the Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill, Labor was not consulted about the second exposure draft before to its release on 10 December 2019.

Despite this, Labor will once again take the time to consult widely throughout the Australian community while we carefully consider the new exposure draft.

As you may be aware, many religious and non-religious individuals and organisations criticised the Government’s original exposure draft. The first exposure draft was very complex and included provisions that operated differently to existing anti-discrimination laws. For example, it was suggested that some provisions of the first exposure draft would have actually eroded existing anti-discrimination protections in both federal and state law – despite assurances from the Attorney-General that the bill would do no such thing.

The erosion of existing anti-discrimination protections is an area of concern for Labor. We do not believe that the extension of the federal anti-discrimination framework to ensure that Australians are not discriminated against because of their religious beliefs should remove protections from discrimination that already exist in the law for other Australians, including protections that currently ensure Australians enjoy equal access to healthcare.

It is important to note that the Government has yet to finalise its proposed religious discrimination laws.  The Government has already made substantial changes between its first and second exposure drafts. And, to be clear, the new exposure draft is not a bill before Parliament – any Religious Discrimination Bill which the Government ultimately brings forward may look very different.

Once the Government has introduced legislation into the Parliament, and once Labor has a further opportunity to analyse the proposed new laws and to consult with the Australian community, Labor will determine its position.

One of the great things about being Australian is that we have the freedom to live our lives as we want to live them. We have a diverse society that makes us richer as a nation, in all senses of the word. But fundamentally it is our shared values that unite us and make us strong. Among those values are compassion, fairness and respect for each other.

Stop Paid Parking

I have launched a community petition calling on Geoff Provest to honour his election commitment and stop paid parking at the new Tweed Valley Hospital.

Since the recent reports in the Tweed Daily News that Geoff Provest and the Nationals lied about free parking at the new Tweed Valley Hospital, I have been contacted by many locals who are upset at yet another broken election promise.

Locals are rightly outraged by Geoff Provest’s blatant lie about free parking.

Geoff Provest has to honour his promises and meet his promised details on the new hospital.

Prior to the state election Geoff Provest gave a commitment that there would be free parking with no time limits for patients, visitors and staff by saying:

“It’s not going to be paid parking there, I have not heard of any adjacent land being offered or sold, we are going to have free parking here and we’re not closing the old hospital down.” [“Parking will be free at hospital,” Tweed Daily News, 9 February 2019]. 

 That commitment was also confirmed in writing to a local constituent by Geoff’s office who replied:

“Further to your inquiry, there is no specific media release stating that parking will be free at the new hospital, but this commitment was given in media interviews by both the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Health during visits to the Tweed. Geoff has also been quoted confirming that parking will be free.”

[Email correspondence from Office of Geoff Provest MP, 27 February 2019]

In a desperate act to hold his seat, Geoff Provest promised locals free parking with no time limits for patients, visitors and staff at the new hospital.

This is a complete betrayal of locals. Geoff Provest and the Nationals have once again lied to us, this time about free parking at the hospital.

Our community deserves so much better than this.

Geoff Provest and the Nationals have again failed our community and this petition is an opportunity for locals to hold them to account.  I encourage locals to sign the petition either online or in print to send a strong message to Geoff Provest and the Nationals.

The petition reads:

Geoff Provest and the Nationals lied to us about free parking at the new Tweed Valley Hospital

Before the election Geoff Provest promised there would be free parking at the hospital.

Now the Nationals are set to betray locals and impose paid parking at the new Tweed Valley Hospital.

Please sign my petition and send a strong message to Geoff Provest and the Nationals:

Stop Paid Parking at the Tweed Valley Hospital!

Link to petition: https://www.justineelliot.com.au/stoppaidparking/

My sincere sympathies are with those whose families and communities have been impacted. It is a tragedy that so many lives and properties have been lost.

This is a national emergency that needs a national response. We have been calling for a national approach to this bushfire emergency since November. We welcome the recent utilisation of the Defence Forces and the announcements of a new Bushfire Recovery Agency, but it shouldn’t have taken this long for the Government to take action.

We have seen unprecedented scenes as drought, unseasonably high temperatures and high winds have combined to wreak havoc on bushland and nearby communities. It is of extreme concern that bushfires of this severity are occurring so early in the year and is more evidence of the need for the Morrison Government to take serious action on climate change.

The Federal Opposition is deeply grateful for the efforts of fire and emergency services personnel and the many volunteers who have assisted in fighting these bushfires. We also commend the residents of affected regions for their cooperation with bushfire authorities.

If you and your family have been impacted by the bushfires and need more information on the emergency assistance available, information on disaster assistance is available at www.disasterassist.gov.au or the below contacts.

Queensland:

Those affected can apply for the Emergency Hardship Assistance grant through the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349 or www.communityrecovery.qld.gov.au.

New South Wales:

For information on personal hardship and distress – contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444 or visit and www.emergency.nsw.gov.au

Applications for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy – contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or www.raa.nsw.gov.au

South Australia:

For information of Disaster recovery assistance visit www.sa.gov.au/topics/emergencies-and-safety/recovery/assistance

Victoria:

For information of Disaster recovery assistance visit www.emergency.vic.gov.au/relief/

Tasmania:

For information on Emergency Assistance Grants and Recovery and Restoration Grants visit www.alert.tas.gov.au/resources/Pages/DisasterAssistance.aspx

If you would like to make a donation to assist communities affected by bushfires, below are some of the organisations accepting donations to provide much needed support.

Disaster Relief:

• Red Cross – redcross.org.au
• Victorian Bushfire Appeal – vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal
• SA Bushfire Appeal – sa.gov.au/topics/emergencies-and-safety/recovery/donating
• Foodbank – foodbank.org.au
• St Vincent de Paul NSW Bushfire Appeal – donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw

Volunteer Fire Services:

• NSW Rural Fire Service – rfs.nsw.gov.au
• Victorian Country Fire Authority – cfa.vic.gov.au
• SA Country Fire Service – cfsfoundation.org.au
• Tasmania Fire Service – fire.tas.gov.au
• Queensland Rural Fire Service – ruralfire.qld.gov.au
• Western Australia Fire and Emergency Services – dfes.wa.gov.au/contactus/pages/donations.aspx
• ACT Emergency Services Agency – esa.act.gov.au
• NT Fire and Rescue Service – pfes.nt.gov.au

Animal Rescue:

• Port Macquarie Koala Hospital – gofundme.com/f/help-thirsty-koalas-devastated-by-recent-fires
• RSPCA NSW Bushfire Appeal – rspcansw.org.au/bushfire-appeal
• NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service – wires.org.au/donate/emergency-fund
• Wildlife Victoria Bushfire Appeal – wildlifevictoria.org.au

There have been reports of some dodgy scammers trying to take advantage of people’s generosity. If you are aware of any you can report them to the Bushfire Scam Hotline on 1300 795 995.

Tweed Centrelink Closures

The Liberal-National Government plans to close three local Centrelink Service Centres. The Tweed Heads South Centrelink Service Centre, the Tweed Heads South Centrelink Call Centre and the Tweed Heads Centrelink Administrative Office which are all set to relocate to a yet to be determined location.

The Morrison Government intends to consolidate the Centrelink Service Centre currently located on Blundell Blvd, Tweed Heads South, the Centrelink Call Centre currently located on Enterprise Ave, Tweed Heads South and the Centrelink Administrative Office currently located on Wharf Street, Tweed Heads.

I have written to the Minister for Human Services Stuart Robert, on behalf of our community, to seek his urgent commitment that there will be no redundancies or cuts to current staff numbers at any centre, and no further decline in the delivery of frontline services to our local community.

The Centrelink Service Centre, based at Blundell Blvd in Tweed Heads South, provides essential services that our community relies on and it is imperative that these services remain easily accessible by our community.

Pensioners and seniors, veterans, people with disability, families, carers, locals seeking work and students all rely on the essential frontline services that our local Centrelink provides.

The fact is, the National Party’s lies, cuts and chaos are hurting our community.

The letter to the Minister for Human Services reads:

Dear Minister,

I write on behalf of my community concerning the Morrison Government’s plans to close three local Centrelink Service Centres.

I understand that the Morrison Government intends to consolidate the Centrelink Service Centre currently located on Blundell Blvd, Tweed Heads South, the Centrelink Call Centre currently located on Enterprise Ave, Tweed Heads South, and the Centrelink Administrative (Zone) Office located on Wharf St, Tweed Heads into one centre at a yet to be determined location.

I write to seek your commitment that there will be:

1. no redundancies or cuts to current staff numbers at any of the three centres;
2. no adverse impacts on frontline customer contact;
3. no adverse impacts on claim or payment processing times; and
4. no further decline in the delivery of services to our local community.

I also seek confirmation that:

1. any new Service Centre will be located only in the postcodes of either 2485 or 2486;
2. the new Service Centre will not be located on state significant land;
3. the location of the consolidated Centrelink Centre will be easily accessible and close to public transport; and
4. that any land sales or rental agreements entered into by the Commonwealth will undergo a full and transparent tender process.

 The Centrelink Service Centre, based at Blundell Blvd in Tweed Heads South, provides essential frontline services that our community relies on and it is imperative that these services remain easily accessible by our community.

I understand that during the course of 2015-16 the Tweed Heads South Centrelink Service Centre received approximately 20,000 face to face customer contacts per quarter. Currently there are not enough staff to meet customer demand whether as a walk in or trying to phone the call centre, which is concerning for my community.

Pensioners and seniors, veterans, people with disability, families, carers, locals seeking work and students all rely on the essential services that the Tweed Heads South Service Centre provides.

I look forward to your prompt reply to these important matters.

Justine Elliot MP

Right to Know campaign

Labor believes a strong and independent media is vital to holding governments – and opposition parties – to account.  Labor congratulates the Right to Know Coalition for their historic, united campaign against the Morrison Government’s assault on media freedom and the public’s right to know.

Labor will continue to stand with journalists and the Right to Know Coalition to fight to defend and to strengthen press freedom.

All Australians, as well as friends in democracies around the world, were shocked earlier this year to see Australian Federal Police raiding the offices of media organisations and the home of a respected political journalist.

The Prime Minister dismissed widespread public concerns about these raids with a wave of the hand and a glib one-liner saying, “it never troubles me that our laws are being upheld.”

This is typical from a Prime Minister who is loose with the truth and repeatedly avoids answering even the simplest questions that seek to hold him accountable to the Australian people.

“Accountability” is a so-called “bubble issue” according to Scott Morrison.

What we are seeing with this third term Liberal Government is an ever-growing culture of cover-up and denial. Led by Scott Morrison, this Government:

• refuses to answer questions from journalists or members of the public;
• ignores its legal obligations to provide information to journalists or members of the public under freedom of information laws; and
• uses the criminal law to intimidate people who embarrass them, including journalists and whistleblowers.

This arrogant Government believes no one is above the law except them.

Scott Morrison and his senior ministers treat “press freedom” as if it were an inconvenience rather than as an essential pillar of our democracy.

When a parliamentary committee recently asked the Peter Dutton’s Department of Home Affairs to provide basic information on how many covert warrants had been obtained to investigate journalists, the Department refused.

When asked about the raids by a journalist, the Communications Minister even threatened to end the interview.

And such is their contempt for the public’s right to know, the Morrison Government refuses to even appoint a standalone Freedom of Information Commissioner.

Labor stands side by side with the Right to Know Coalition and calls on the Morrison Government to:

• rule out the prosecution of Dan Oakes, Sam Clark and Annika Smethurst
• better protect journalists whose only “crime” is doing their jobs
• fully comply with its obligations under freedom of information laws
• protect whistleblowers.

More information about this campaign is available at www.yourrighttoknow.com.au

Uluru Statement from the Heart

It has been over a year since the historic gathering at Uluru and the release of the Statement from the Heart, and over a year since the Referendum Council released its final report into constitutional recognition of the First Australians.

Labor has made clear our view – we cannot call on First Nations people to give us their views on what form of constitutional recognition they want, and then reject those calls.

Yet that is exactly what Liberal Prime Ministers have done.

In the last year, both Turnbull and Morrison have rejected the calls for a Voice to Parliament, repeatedly claiming it will become a third chamber, and that any referendum will not get the support of the Australian People.

Labor has pushed for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to do further work on this issue, in the hope that there can be a return to bipartisanship.

Labor is proud that Senator Patrick Dodson, the father of reconciliation was the co-chair of that committee, continuing to work with patience and respect with First Nations people and the Parliament.

The Joint Select Committee Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2018, released its report at the end of November, calling for bipartisan recognition of the need for a Voice. The Final Report is available at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Former_Committees/Constitutional_Recognition_2018/ConstRecognition/Final_Report

More than a year after the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Final Report of the Referendum Council, the overwhelming evidence to the Committee was that First Nation’s peoples want a Voice, and a more meaningful say in the issues that impact their lives.They have have reiterated their desire for a more meaningful say in the issues that affect their lives. They continue to call for a Voice to Parliament.  And they continue to call for a Makaratta Commission to oversee a process of truth telling and agreement making.

Labor has heard those calls and has committed to deliver.

It is clear that the Government’s handling of the Uluru Statement has set the nation back on the long overdue work of recognition of First Nations people.

Labor’s position is clear: we will work with the Government, but we will not wait for them. First Nations people have waited 250 years to be recognised for who they are, the First People of this country, and for recognition as sovereign peoples whose land was taken by force.

That is why, while the Government remains opposed to the call from Uluru, a Labor Government will legislate the Voice to Parliament as a first step towards constitutional entrenchment. Achieving this goal is the priority task for constitutional change should Labor be elected to office.

Labor is also committed to doing what we can to right the wrongs to the past, and ensure those wrongs are never repeated.

That is why we have committed to a compensations scheme for the Stolen Generations in Commonwealth jurisdictions, as well as the establishment of a Healing Fund. We will also convene a National Summit on First Nations Children, to address the extremely high rates of child removal.

We continue to commit ourselves to working with First Nation’s people every step of the way.

Royal Commission into veteran suicide

Labor has announced  it will support a Royal Commission into veteran suicide.

Official figures released show a disturbingly high rate of suicide among current and ex-service men and women – with more than 400 deaths since 2001.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare research indicated that suicide rates for current and former Defence personnel compared to the rest of the Australian population are higher than ever.

Australia can no longer tolerate this senseless loss of life.

This is nothing less than a crisis and as a nation, we need to do all we can to tackle this.

Labor believes the best way to do this is through a thorough and comprehensive Royal Commission.

We are calling on the Morrison Government to do the right thing by our ex-service men and women, and establish a Royal Commission into veteran suicide as soon as possible.

This will help to shine a light on the issue, investigate why so many of our veterans are taking their own lives, and determine what measures are needed to stop these tragic deaths.

The terms of reference should include serving men and women, their transition from active service back to civilian life, and their ongoing circumstances.

The men and women who serve our country deserve our gratitude and respect, and we owe it to them to have a comprehensive examination of how we can reduce, and hopefully eliminate, these tragic numbers.

Their deaths are heartbreaking and cause immeasurable loss and grief for their loved ones left behind, their local communities, and indeed the nation.

We know many veterans and veterans’ families have been calling for this for some time now – they want to prevent future suicides and other families from suffering in the way they have.

And we have listened to courageous advocates like Julie-Ann Finney, whose son David took his own life in February this year after a battle with PTSD.

Labor Members of Parliament have met with Ms Finney and she has made a strong case for a Royal Commission.

We want this to be a bipartisan effort – we want to work with the Government, the Parliament and the veteran community and do all we can to address the scourge of veteran suicide.

Sports Supplements

Labor understands that many Australians use sports supplements, and that their production makes an important economic contribution.

Labor also respects the independence and expertise of the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which helps to ensure that the therapies Australians use are safe and effective.

For these reasons, Labor will monitor the TGA’s process on sports supplements closely.

Labor understands that the consultation phase opened on 22 October and will close on 3 December. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to make a formal submission to the TGA via https://www.tga.gov.au/consultation/consultation-proposed-clarification-certain-sports-supplements-are-therapeutic-goods.

Labor hopes that the TGA will consider feedback from all interested Australians when making its final decision.

5G

The Australian Government regulates public exposure to electromagnetic emissions (EME) from communications equipment such as mobile towers, including 5G deployments.

Exposure to EME is both an important health issue and a highly technical area. For this reason, governments appropriately rely on the advice of their scientific and technical regulators.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is the expert body on the health effects from EME produced by communications equipment and other sources.

Once ARPANSA set an EME safety limit, these safeguards are then incorporated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) into transmitter licence conditions that apply to mobile and other operators that use the radiofrequency spectrum. The ACMA is the regulator responsible for managing the radiofrequency spectrum, but the ACMA is not an expert body on the health effects of human exposure to EME.

Before building new mobile phone base stations, mobile phone companies must generally:

Consult with communities (the Communications Alliance industry code C564:2011 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment)

Produce an environmental EME report—the reports are published at the Radio Frequency National Site Archive.

If you have questions or concerns about the adequacy of the ARPANSA limits, in minimising potential human health effects, including in relation to 5G, I recommend that you contact ARPANSA on 1800 022 333. ARPANSA do offer opportunities for members of the public to speak directly with their scientists.

More information from ARPSANA can also be found here.

NDIS

In government Labor legislated for the NDIS, successfully launched the scheme, and set out a ten-year funding plan to secure its long-term future.

Labor created the NDIS because we understood that the current system of disability support is completely broken.

Across the country, the NDIS is now transforming the lives of people with disability.

For the first time, people with disability have their needs met in a way that supports them to live with choice and dignity.

When fully rolled out, the NDIS will provide support to more than 460,000 people with disability.

NBN

Staying connected is vital for everyone across the North Coast, but time and time again bungled NBN installations are costing North Coast businesses.

As well as the financial impact of an unreliable internet connection, businesses, families and individuals often have to spend time dealing with issues that should be a simple fix – time that would be much better spent focusing on other things.

In 2016-17, there were almost 20,000 complaints about NBN faults in New South Wales to the Telecommunications Ombudsman, while more than 8000 complaints were made about connections.

Overall, there was a 43% rise in complaints about the NBN from 2015-16.

Having more uptime, less downtime, and greater accountability is an important step towards delivering a better NBN for all Australians.

Locals have a right to access fast speeds and services. But the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government have delivered a second-rate NBN that is both $20 billion over budget and four years behind schedule.

I encourage all locals who experience frustrations in dealing with the NBN, including connection drop outs, slow speeds or simply no access at all, to contact my office for assistance

Only Labor understands that real high-speed broadband is essential for jobs, for small businesses, world-class education and health care.

Climate Change

Labor is the only party of government that is committed to real action on climate change.

Strong climate action is needed, not only to protect the prosperity of future generations of Australians and to meet our international obligations under the Paris climate change Accords, but also to deliver prosperity today by modernising our economy and adapting to inevitable climate impacts.

After the disappointing result of the 2019 election, it is natural and necessary that Labor review all our policies taken to the 2019 election, but this review will not change the values that motivate and underpin our commitment to real climate action.

Labor’s approach to climate change policy will continue to be guided by the best science available, and be underpinned by Labor values of equity and fairness. Our approach will focus on the development of policies that will not only cut pollution, but ensure we maximise the jobs and economic opportunities of modernising our economy.

In contrast, the Liberal and National parties have paid nothing more than lip service to real climate action. Their approach to climate change is best demonstrated not by their rhetoric, but by their actions, including a commitment to provide taxpayer support for coal fired power.

As a result, it is no surprise that Australian emissions are now projected to be essentially the same in 2020 as they were in 2000, and Australia ranked last out of 61 countries, behind Russia, Saudi Arabia and Donald Trump’s USA in terms of climate policy at the latest Paris agreement summit.

While the result of the 2019 election was disappointing for those seeking serious action on climate change, Labor will not walk away from the crucial task of tackling climate change and delivering a prosperous and sustainable Australia to future generation.

Live Exports

Labor wants to end the cruelty in the live sheep export industry.

Despite many chances, the live sheep trade has been unable to demonstrate it is capable of meeting reasonable animal welfare standards.

The Liberal National Government has chosen to ignore the advice of both the Australian Veterinary Association and RSPCA.  They say live sheep cannot be transported to the Middle East during the northern summer period without suffering extreme heat stress.

This is why Labor’ policy is to put a halt to the summer trade and phase-out the rest of the trade as quickly as is possible.

The Morrison Government has given the green light to the re-commencement live sheep exports in some of the hottest northern hemisphere summer months. The unfortunate decision runs against the Government’s own expert advice.

And now they plan to spend $2.2 million of taxpayers’ money on a research project in an attempt to work around the scientific conclusions of its own reviews of the live sheep trade.

The Government has gone from ignoring the science to fighting the science.

After investing in five costly reports including one by an Independent Heat Stress Risk Assessment Technical Reference Panel, the Government wants industry to invent a dehumidification machine to beat the wet bulb test which the experts say is the right measure of animal welfare.

The $2.2 million should be used to help sheep farmers make the transition to domestic processing and higher value product markets. That’s more jobs in Australia.

Policing

As a former frontline police officer I will always advocate for more police for our region.

Kingscliff High Rise

I stand with the community in opposing the overdevelopment of Kingscliff. Labor supports a three storey height limit in Kingscliff.

Aged Care

Seniors in Richmond are telling me that they are waiting for a home care package.  The Liberal Nationals Government cut aged care funding by billions over the past five years leaving more than 100,000 seniors on the waiting list.

I believe that seniors built our nation. I know our local seniors deserve better. I will continue to raise these issues in Canberra and I will always fight for a better deal for our seniors.

Penalty Rates

The Liberal National Government have cut penalty rates for weekends and public holidays.

Labor understands penalty rates aren’t a luxury. They are what pays the bills and puts food on the table for millions of families.

Local workers stand to lose up to $77 per week.

I will always fight for local workers and their rights.