Media

For my last speech of 2020, I highlighted the outstanding work of my constituents on what matters to them in this most difficult year. I am proud to advance their interests in Canberra and never take for granted the trust they’ve placed in me.

I support the passage of the National Emergency Declaration Bill 2020 through the House not because it will solve all the problems in our bushfire response but because it addresses one of the many shortcomings the royal commission identified in our current bushfire response framework.

I call on the government to move quickly to help our grape growers and winemakers to respond to the fast-moving challenges on the climate and trade fronts.

Regional news media is vital to rural Australia. Annual reviews of the news media bargaining code must specifically considers the impacts on small and regional publishers.

La Trobe University’s Nexus program addresses a major challenge in regional and rural areas: that of attracting, preparing and retaining high-quality teachers in often hard-to-staff schools.

The same responsible lending standards should be applied to all consumers, no matter where they get their credit.

We should be doing all we can to expand the childcare sector and reform the childcare subsidy scheme to maximise access, especially for families who are disadvantaged and stand to benefit the most.

To mark this year’s International Day of People with Disability I recognise the work of many individuals who’ve built Mansfield Autism Statewide Services (MASS) and call for government investment to help MASS transform the lives of more people with autism.