6 Feb | '2023

Childcare Motion

The member for Bean talks a big game, which of course is a prerequisite of being a Labor Party member these days because Labor just loves to talk about how great they are and how great their policies are and how everything will be better under Labor. It’s a rosy picture. Labor loves to sell […]

1 Dec | '2022

Human Rights

There has been a concerning rise of violence against women and minority groups not only here in Australia but around the world. We’ve seen an increasing number of attacks on Jewish places of worship, schools and businesses. People are marching in the streets in Iran in protest of the unacceptable and abhorrent violence being carried […]

1 Dec | '2022

Red & Yellow Day

Recently I received an email from Derek Wilson, who, 23 years ago, tragically lost his son Ben at age seven and his daughter Molly at age four, along with his two nieces aged 15 and 17 in a drowning accident. He asked me to speak in parliament about Red and Yellow Day, and, of course, […]

30 Nov | '2022

Olivia Newton-John Condolences

Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE was born on 26 September 1948 in Cambridge England to Bryn and Irene. She was the youngest of three children with Hugh, her brother, and Rona, her sister. Olivia was five years old when her family emigrated to Melbourne on the SS Strathaird. Olivia wanted to be a vet but […]

29 Nov | '2022

Motion – Baha’i Faith

I move the motion relating to the Baha’i faith in the terms in which it appears on the notice paper. It gives me great pleasure to rise in the chamber today after meeting, out on the parliament lawn, with Iranian Australians and many from the Baha’i faith to speak about what’s going on in Iran […]

29 Nov | '2022

Motion – Childcare

I move that the motion relating to childcare in the terms in which it appears on the notice paper. The coalition has a strong record when it comes to delivering for Australians. During our time in government, we doubled investment in the early childhood education sector to $11 billion in 2022-23, and we also did […]

24 Nov | '2022

Consideration in Detail – Early Childhood Education

Over the last couple of months I’ve spoken in great detail about the government’s cheaper child care bill, and my colleagues and I have asked hundreds of questions of this government regarding their plan, and we’re still yet to receive any real answers, even though the bill has now passed through all of its processes […]

24 Nov | '2022

Consideration in Detail – Mental Health

I rise to speak on mental health in Australia following the government’s recent budget. Mental health and suicide prevention, of course, are a key focus of the opposition, as it is for me. As shadow minister for youth, I understand the enormity of that challenge. The opposition has a strong track record of investing in […]

23 Nov | '2022

Consideration of Legislation

Ms BELL: I second the motion, and I outline that Australian small and family businesses are simply not aware of the impacts of this bill. Why is that? Well, because this Labor government has not spoken to one small business about its impacts, particularly about industry-wide or patenting bargaining, as it was known during the […]

22 Nov | '2022

Poem – Mental Health

Mental Health Sitting in the corner Not knowing what is going to come next Will it be my fear? or my concerns? Why is it never my dreams? My happy place? Does it always have to be worried and bad times Something good would be nice for a change Treacherous thoughts running through my head […]