Senate Speech – Climate Change
The Coalition is following its own processes with respect to the review of its policies relating to energy and emissions reduction. The coalition will not be diverted from that process—by Senator Ayres or anyone else in this chamber or outside of the coalition. It is absolutely crucial that the coalition, following the last election, engages […]
Senate Speech – Improved Medicare Integrity
The coalition supports Medicare. Funding into Medicare increased every single year under the former coalition government. Every single year that the coalition was in government before the election of the Albanese government, year on year, there was an increase in Medicare funding. The first year we came into power, there had been $18.6 billion of […]
Senate Speech – National Disability Insurance Scheme – Order for the Production of Documents
I too rise to speak in relation to this matter and raise my concerns regarding transparency. I want to touch on some of the points that both Senator Steele-John and the minister made. Firstly, Senator Steele-John, I acknowledge and deeply respect your ongoing advocacy with respect to these matters. The example you gave of the […]
Senate Speech – Vale Mr Petro Georgiou
I wanted to take this opportunity to make a few comments in relation to Mr Petro Georgiou, who was a person I greatly admired. Firstly—and I do this now in my capacity as a shadow minister for citizenship and multicultural affairs—I acknowledge the important role that Petro Georgiou played in promoting multiculturalism in our beautiful […]
Senate Speech – Setting of the Sitting Calendar
The coalition acknowledges that the setting of the sitting calendar is the government’s prerogative. However, it is deeply regrettable that this motion provides for only 27 sitting days for the balance of the calendar year. It is not enough. This sitting calendar limits the opportunity of senators to hold the executive to account. It provides […]
Senate Speech – Senator Faruqi Standing Orders
President, I genuinely felt for you yesterday as you were sitting next to our Governor-General for the length of her address and you were in such an invidious position as to what you could do in that situation. I genuinely felt for you, and, in speaking on this matter, I’d like to make that point, […]
Senate Speech – Protection of Ethnic and Religious Minorities In Syria
On 25 March 2025, in the last week of the last parliament, I gave a speech in the Senate calling upon the Australian government to advocate, through all available international forums, the protection of ethnic and religious minorities in Syria. In the first week of this new parliament, I am now moved to rise again […]