Well, here we go again. It seems like the CFMEU saga will never, ever end. But this time it isn’t just another messy chapter in the long and troubled history of the CFMEU. It is something far more serious. It’s an industrial-scale cover-up that goes to the heart of this Albanese Labor government. It has […]
It is indeed a privilege to represent the good people of Moncrieff, and it’s something I will never, ever take for granted. Moncrieff is in the heart of the Gold Coast, and we’re so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful community—a community built on mateship, on shared values and of course on service. That’s why I rise today to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding Aussies from Moncrieff who have been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours. Australia Day is a time to reflect on who we are as a nation.
The Gold Coast is home to some of our nation’s most extraordinary athletes, and I rise to acknowledge and celebrate the incredible career and retirement of one of Australia’s greatest surf lifesaving athletes and legends, Ironman champion Ali Day. Ali Day’s career stands as one of the most dominant and respected in the history of Ironman racing. Over more than a decade at the elite level, he did not simply compete; he set the standard. His achievements include multiple Australian Ironman championships, Coolangatta Gold victories and national series titles that place him firmly among the legends of sport. But statistics alone do not capture Ali Day’s contribution.
Yes, for those listening from home, you’ve got me again. I’m here to represent Senator Kerrynne Liddle, a South Australian senator and an Indigenous senator from Adelaide and, actually, from the Northern Territory as well. Today I rise to speak on the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026 and the associated National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026. At the outset, I acknowledge the seriousness of the issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children today, issues that demand practical action, accountability and relentless focus on outcomes on the front line. That is key. I acknowledge the upcoming anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations and the members of the Stolen Generations that will be present in the chamber this week for that very sad anniversary.
I rise today to speak on the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical changes No. 1) Bill 2026. The opposition will not oppose the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 1) Bill 2026 in the House of Representatives. However, we do hold concerns on some aspects of the bill before us today. The coalition has always taken the view that Australia must maintain a strong, fair and sustainable social services safety net. Few countries in the world provide the level of support that Australian taxpayers fund for people who are out of work, facing hardship or experiencing a family breakdown. That’s something Australians should be proud of.
The Minister for Small Business interjected when the member for Goldstein was delivering his speech on his MPI. I’d like Australians to know that what she said was that small businesses are dodgy. I say the Minister for Small Business is dodgy, I say the Treasurer is dodgy and I say the Prime Minister is dodgy.
The Reserve Bank’s latest decision confirms what Australians already know: Labor has lost control of the economy. They’ve lost control of energy costs. They’ve lost control of social cohesion. They’ve lost control of our borders.
I add my heartfelt sympathy for the victims and their families around the events of 14 December at our beloved Bondi Beach. I acknowledge their pain and embrace those impacted; some, we know, were here in the gallery earlier this morning. The Gold Coast community send our deepest condolences: shalom aleichem—peace be upon you. My local Jewish communities send their love and support for your loss.
Frankenstein’s monster is the new creation of Labor and the Greens’ dirty deal in the dead of night on the EPBC Act. The Prime Minister and his Mr Fixer, the senator from the great resources state Queensland, Murray Watt, has appeased the left flank of Labor’s backbench and caved in to allow a new environmental protection agency with excessive powers and too little oversight. Their new Frankenstein CEO will have the power to mark its own homework and to create its own rules.
The Coalition has engaged in good faith with the government to secure environmental law reform—reform that will deliver for the environment and for jobs, industry and investment—in our great nation because Australians deserve environmental laws that are productive, practical and durable. But the legislation in its current form, despite the lofty rhetoric of those opposite, falls well short of delivering the certainty, the balance and the productivity that our nation needs.