I had the great pleasure of hosting the Leader of the Opposition when she visited my electorate of Moncrieff last week. One of the standouts of her visit was introducing the leader to exceptional young leaders at Merrimac State High School. It’s a beautiful school that I have the privilege of visiting regularly. It’s not far from my home. It’s one of the 34 schools in the electorate of Moncrieff, and I love all of them.
I rise to speak on the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, the first of seven bills, which will now be considered separately, on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. As I’ve said from the very start of this process, when I became the shadow minister for the environment, environmental reform is too important to get wrong. I speak to mainstream Australians about this, about the things that impact them, and there are many things wrong with this reform from those opposite.
We’re very happy on this side that the beard’s gone. Australia is the best country in the world, with the most iconic flora and fauna. Our ecosystem is unique and must be protected, but it seems to be going backwards under this government.
Environmental law reform is well overdue. We can agree on that. That view is very much shared by those on both sides of the House. So why is it that this Labor government is yet to get the balance right? We’ve said that from the beginning. We need to ensure that jobs and investment continue whilst minimising the impact on the environment—it’s important to note that investment is in decline in this country—so this reform is simply too important to get wrong.
I rise today to speak on the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025. The coalition will not oppose this bill in the House of Representatives; however, we do have significant concerns about aspects of the legislation that warrant further scrutiny.
Volunteers have a strong presence throughout the Gold Coast community, whether it’s helping out with local sporting teams or responding to natural disasters or emergencies or helping local charities. Volunteers and volunteering have never been more important than they are today, with so many people who need extra support.
Clearly, since the federal budget in March, we’ve had a federal election. Traditionally, after an election, where there is no change of government, we might expect only minor adjustments, such as a reshuffle of ministerial line-ups and a few tweaks in responsibilities across those portfolios. After this most recent election, what we saw in the social services portfolio was far from minor.
Australians have lost trust in this government. That’s absolutely the truth, because actually only one in three Australians voted for Labor at the last election. And why is that? Well, uncertainty, lack of accountability, soaring inflation, record government spending, foreign-policy failings and inaction on the environment—inaction that can be seen firsthand, as the harmful algal bloom in South Australia continues to ravage coastal communities.
Australia’s way of life is built on the values of fairness, of tolerance and of respect. But, unfortunately, our strength and unity are being tested during times of civil unrest never before seen in our great country. The fact is that social cohesion is on a knife’s edge, and Australians are rightly disappointed in the Prime Minister’s lack of leadership. There have been multiple failures of government to keep our community safe and united. Crime is spiralling out of control in several states. Synagogues have been firebombed, with our Jewish community under siege.
During my 2024 consideration-in-detail speech as shadow minister for early childhood education and care, my opening line was this: ‘It’s been two years, three budgets and I haven’t met a single Australian who is better off under Labor.’ Here we are in the same position, on the same downhill spiral under this government, and the question is: are Australians safer and are they more secure than they were when Labor took office? The answer is a categorical no, because the reality is Australians always suffer under Labor.