He will blame anyone else rather than take responsibility

November 25, 2021

We thought things were pretty bad when former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who promised no cuts to the ABC and SBS, no cuts to health and no cuts to education, did just that when he came to office. He cut every one of those things. He broke promises. We thought that was a new low in politics. But this country has never seen anyone quite like Prime Minister Morrison, a man who acts only in his own interests and does not act in the interests of a...

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Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Select Committee

November 25, 2021

There have been many reports into Australia's mental health system, and its failures are well known and widely discussed: high costs for many patients and terrible shortages of psychologists and psychiatrists that mean long waits, long distances to travel or people simply not seeking the help that they need. That's particularly the case for children, with big gaps in treatment for eating disorders, failures of community care and a horrific sui...

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Recognising TTS

November 23, 2021

I rise to speak on behalf of a Blue Mountains family whose daughter Katie died at the age of 34 in August this year as a result of taking the AstraZeneca vaccine. She is one of nine deaths the TGA reports as linked to AstraZeneca and one of eight who developed TTS. To use the words of her dad, Ian, Katie was a 'vibrant, healthy woman with no pre-existing medical conditions' living in Sydney's inner west. She was a writer, comedian and performe...

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Telecommunications in rural and regional communities

November 22, 2021

I want to thank the member for Mayo for putting this motion forward. It's a comprehensive look at the various telecommunications issues that rural and regional communities face. My community faces all those issues and needs the same kinds of solutions that are being put forward. I do think, though, that it's a bit rich for the member for Berowra and the member for Barker to stand here and talk about a private member's bill that the member for...

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Childcare

November 22, 2021

Childcare workers and childcare directors—or, as we like to think of them, early learning educators—have been asked to do a lot during this pandemic. They were asked to stay on the front line when we knew very little about COVID. Nearly everyone else had to stay at home, but they had to be able to care for the children of essential workers, showing just how essential they themselves are. They were initially denied vaccinations, and then they h...

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Small biz survives despite the NBN

November 22, 2021

There are small businesses in the Upper Blue Mountains who successfully operate in spite of the NBN. These are people with fibre to the node like Aaron from Bethany Manor B&B in Leura.

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