A record-breaking sitting fortnight in Parliament

I have just returned from a big sitting fortnight in Parliament House (a record breaking-one).

On Thursday, November 6, our Parliament had more than 40 divisions (votes) – the second-highest in history. And the week before, the Senate set a 125-year record for the longest-ever question time running for more than three hours.

In all seriousness, our Federal Parliament can feel far away, but the conversations and discussions we have in Canberra matter locally in our community.

This week we expanded the bulk-billing incentive to every Australian, and we boosted the payments to GP clinics that bulk-bill every patient.

There are already more than 1000 clinics across the country that have signed up to become fully bulk-billed. Which means more members of our community will get the healthcare they need for free.

Our investment into Medicare meant that the changes came into place on November 1, and I’ve already heard from local GPs who know the difference this will make for our community.

No-one should be avoiding getting the healthcare they need because of the cost, and our investment in Medicare will make a real difference.

Additionally, from November 1 we made contraceptive care more affordable and accessible, giving Australian women more choice over their reproductive health. We have introduced new incentives for health professionals to provide long-acting contraception, which could save Australian women up to $400 a year.

For years so many in our community have written to me about our environmental laws, and this week I was proud to speak in Parliament as we introduced our Environment Protection Reform Bill.

Five years ago, Professor Graeme Samuel released his independent review of our environmental laws. Despite being commissioned by the former Coalition government, the report was left untouched by the former Environment Minister and now Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

The report told us what so many in our community already knew, our environmental laws are broken.

Our bill introduces National Environmental Standards, a clear definition which will deliver environmental outcomes and give certainty to business.

Projects will be required, by law, to avoid, mitigate and repair damage to our environment, wherever possible.

We are establishing Australia’s first Environment Protection Agency, an independent regulator who will oversee compliance, enforce the law and hold serious offenders to account with tougher penalties.

Importantly, the EPA will be about transparency. It will ensure that the environment is considered and taken seriously by industry.

All of this is what Professor Samuel recommended five years ago, and we can get it done. We can’t wait any longer.

Finally, this sitting fortnight we passed Baby Priya’s Bill, an amendment to the Fair Work Act.

Five days after the death of her six-week old daughter Priya, her mother notified her employer where she had worked for 11 years. Her pre-approved parental leave was cancelled.

Baby Priya’s Bill is about dignity and respect. It enshrines in law the right for employer-funded paid parental leave for grieving parents experiencing the stillbirth or death of a child.

It’s about dignity, and it’s a piece of legislation that I was proud got support from the majority of the Parliament, from different political persuasions.

As we head towards the end of the year, I know there is more work to do. People across our community are still doing it tough. We are getting on with the job, and I will be sure to keep you updated.

It’s a privilege to represent our community, and we have more work to do together. •