Speeches
Government playing politics with shipbuilding jobs
Tue 27 October 2020This government is making a horrible mess of Defence shipbuilding – it is delays and cost buyouts as far as the eye can see. It is crumbs from the table for Australian companies that want to be involved in this work. And that puts our sovereign shipbuilding and sustainment capacity at risk. It puts the jobs of Australian shipbuilders and seafarers at risk and for WA it is nothing but broken promises.
Read more...Thank you, anti-nuclear campaigners
Mon 26 October 2020The only way to be sure that we avoid nuclear devastation is to see the abolition of nuclear weapons. Every normative and every practical step we take in that direction is hard one, precious and it’s vital.
Read more...Reach out for mental health support
Mon 26 October 2020Too many of us think I’m not doing that badly, or I don’t want to bother someone, or even I’m not the kind of person that experiences mental ill-health. And of course, that’s a big part of the problem. The truth is, we’re all that person.
Read more...Morrison budget: weak, warped, wasteful
Thu 22 October 2020I defy anyone to point to one notable reform or lasting achievement of this Coalition government. They were elected as the masters of negativity, they set one task for themselves, which was to reduce debt and they’ve comprehensively failed to do that. They doubled it before the pandemic, it will quadruple by the time we get through the pandemic.
Read more...Recycling and Waste Reduction Bills 2020
Thu 22 October 2020It’s easy to pretend that waste is not a massive environmental problem and a massive market failure. And to pretend that in any case, we’ll deal with it by a few nifty innovations, by asking business nicely, and perhaps, in some cases, treating business to a few stern words of encouragement. But we also know what’s hard. And what is hard is to plan and deliver serious and meaningful progress through reform on a national scale, because that requires leadership and action at the national level. And it means substantial change to the way we do things now.
Read more...Morrison’s cuts eroding our social safety net
Tue 20 October 2020If you want to meet what should be the core responsibility of the Australian government and guarantee there’s a high-standard and high-quality social safety net for all Australians, as the foundation of our fair and egalitarian way of life, then you have to focus on what effective care and support actually means, and you need to make sure the people who deliver that care and support are valued. That’s not what is happening at the moment.
Read more...Aviation workers deserve our support
Mon 19 October 2020There’s no doubt that aviation is facing some of the sharpest impacts of the present crisis, but whatever happens we cannot allow Australian aviation to be jeopardised. It’s essential to our social and economic wellbeing. That means we must have a clear plan for the survival and revival of Australian aviation, a clear plan that protects air services and protects the workers who deliver those services.
Read more...Government must assist stranded Aussies
Thu 3 September 2020All Australians need to have confidence that there is a system in place that is sensible, transparent, properly resourced and fair, and the government needs to do a lot more to assist stranded and vulnerable citizens.
Read more...Hydrogen fuel technology
Mon 31 August 2020In Australia, we have some of the best renewable energy conditions on the planet and we should be a top-of-the-tree, state-of-the-art player when it comes to green hydrogen, but, needless to say, that’s difficult when you have a government that underrates and undermines renewable energy at every turn.
Read more...In honour of World War II service: Bill Cork
Mon 31 August 2020On Saturday 15 August we marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, a conflict that involved enormous suffering and sacrifice.
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