Matters of public importance - Coal

December 05, 2018

We've got a lot of coal-fired power stations that have done great service to the nation and are retiring. They must retire; they are falling apart as we speak. If you want cheap power, reliable power and cleaner power, renewable energy is the answer. That's what the Australian Energy Market Operator has stated unequivocally, and that's why Labor has called for the NEG, and it's why Labor has agreed with the vast majority of stakeholders who've...

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BILLS - Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2018 - Second Reading

December 05, 2018

The energy and climate change debate is a litmus test in this country, and it's a litmus test that the coalition have failed for 10 years. I can't work out who's worse in the Liberal Party party room, the 50 per cent who deny the science of climate change or those of the 50 per cent who accept it but just give in to the climate change deniers, who aid and abet those people who have set the course of Australia back so much over the last 10 year...

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An update on the state of Shortland

November 28, 2018

Before I draw the attention of the House to some of the highlights of 2018 in Shortland, I do want to reflect on events at a national level, particularly in recent months. It's beyond disappointing that we are now onto our third Liberal Prime Minister in five years. The Liberals and Nationals have clearly not learnt the lessons of the past—that is, when Australians elect a government, unless there are some extraordinary circumstances, they exp...

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National Apology – Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

October 24, 2018

The royal commission spent many weeks in Newcastle and heard from victims of abuse, particularly from the Anglican and Catholic dioceses. Many of my constituents attended St Pius X High School at Adamstown. The commission and the criminal trials over the past decade revealed that what should have been a sanctuary of security and stability for young adults was, for many, a cesspit of depravity and criminality. Former Archbishop Philip Wilson, w...

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CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS - Centrelink

October 23, 2018

A complaint that all 150 of us in the House of Representatives would be familiar with is their constituents' frustrations, particularly elderly and vulnerable Australians, regarding delays in accessing benefits through the Department of Human Services. I particularly want to raise the issue of one of my constituents, who waited over six months for her application for the aged pension to be processed. It was only approved after my office became...

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STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS - Minister for the Environment

October 18, 2018

The great tragedy is that the environment is what suffers. The environment is suffering because the member for Durack is incompetent and unfit to hold office.

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