I’m excited to update the House on the remarkable initiatives undertaken by Makeables in Tingalpa.
On a mission to increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, Makeables is a not-for-profit disability employer affiliated with the Multicap organisation.
Currently, they have 80 supported employees at their workplace, with an additional 30 to 40 students attending each week from local special schools to gain skills and work experience.
Makeables’ goal is to help as many of their employees as possible to transition into open employment.
Conducting a variety of tasks to help in the assembly, packing and finishing of production and distribution, employees are offering tangible benefits to local businesses in our community.
One such example of this is employees from Makeables helping to pack between 20 and 30 pallets a day of potato chips PepsiCo.
Working at Makeables is also helping improve everyday life skills of people with disabilities, such as communication, problem-solving and working in a team, further allowing them to boost their confidence and thrive.
I am happy to say Multicap and Makeables recently received a Stronger Communities grant, which they used to implement six custom-height adjustable workstations for their employees.
During a recent visit, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nick, the employment operations manager at Multicap, and it was heartening to learn from Nick that the Stronger Communities grant [time expires]
I’m excited to update the House on the progress of my motion to make financial literacy a compulsory part of the national curriculum.
Since I introduced this motion, I have had an incredible amount of positive feedback from my electorate of Bonner.
Mums, dads, schoolteachers, principals, accountants, business owners and local school students have said to me that not only is financial literacy in schools a good idea but it must become compulsory.
Local mum Helen told me that, if financial literacy was compulsory when she attended school, she believes that it would have given her the skills to make better financial decisions to help her family get ahead, helped to reduce financial stress and even potentially reduced fights about finances in her home.
I also heard from Bonner local school student Jake, who told me that personal finances are not spoken about in his house.
Jake said that he wished that financial literacy was already compulsory in schools so he would be confident in how to manage his money as he enters the workforce.
It is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation is equipped with the skills that they need to be confident in making smart financial decisions so that they can get ahead.
I look forward to my next update to the House as I start my Bonner schools financial literacy tour.
To learn more about the motion to make financial literacy compulsory in schools, click here
I think we can all agree that it is beyond exciting to see our Matildas make it through to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Women’s Soccer World Cup.
They were on fire last night, and what incredible ambassadors they are for Australia and for women in sport. But I rise today to update the House on what I believe is even more exciting soccer news for my electorate of Bonner.
I’m happy to report that the Bayside United Football Club female change rooms and parents room are only weeks away from completion.
Located in the great suburb of Lota, the Bayside United Football Club has a proud history of being a club for the people, and it is an integral part of our local community.
Through my advocacy, and working alongside the Bayside United Football Club, I was able to deliver $580,000 in federal government funding to help the club expand and cater for female athletes and parents. When this project first started there were no dedicated female change rooms or parents room.
This meant there was no privacy for female players or referees when they needed to change in or out of sports gear and no area for parents if they needed privacy with young children.
That is why I fought for this much-needed community infrastructure upgrade to help ensure women and parents feel comfortable and safe when attending games at Bayside United Football Club.
To know this project is very near completion is great news and a win for our local community, especially as female participation in soccer continues to grow to new heights.
The opening of the female change rooms and parents room will also be just in time for the Super 6 summer series, and this year the club aims to have at least 50 per cent women and girls teams in the series, which will include mum-and-daughter teams along with dad-and-daughter teams.
I have to say, the completion of this upgrade and the new life of the club wouldn’t be possible without the passion and dedication of the new club president, Andrew Dale, as well as the hardworking committee members and people like the women and girls technician director, Theo.
I’m also excited—or, should I say, slightly apprehensive—to share with the House that Andrew has challenged me to a pizza cook-off at the club.
It might have been a while since my restaurant days, but, as the former owner of a small business called Elio’s Restaurant, and being of Italian heritage, I’m hoping I can remember a trick or two!
I look forward to keeping the House informed and, more importantly, to seeing more women playing soccer at the Bayside United Football Club.
Childcare services play a crucial role in enabling parents to work, to support their families and to actively contribute to society.
In many ways, affordable, high-quality child care forms the cornerstone of economic prosperity and social and emotional wellbeing.
However, despite the government’s claim that Australian families are better off under their childcare scheme, it’s disappointing to see that so many Bonner families are still hurting when it comes to paying childcare fees.
A perfect example of these families is the story of Julie; her husband, Trent; and their two children. Like many, Julie moved from the UK to Australia in search of a better life.
Chasing the Aussie dream, Julie and her husband have dedicated their lives to building a better future for their family.
Both working parents, Julie and Trent have relished in the opportunity to work hard, get ahead, improve their lifestyle and achieve a sense of financial security whilst raising their two children.
For many years their efforts were rewarded, and they managed to avoid relying on government assistance and took pride in their self-sufficiency and hard work paying off.
Despite their efforts, Julie recently reached out to me concerned over the cost-of-living crisis. Increased interest rates, higher electricity prices and higher taxes have put significant financial pressure on Julie and her family.
In their pursuit of financial relief, Julie and Trent turned to the government’s childcare subsidy scheme.
This scheme was promised to increase their disposable income and provide much-needed financial support during these challenging times.
However, this has not been case. Despite the subsidy, their childcare centre increased fees not once but twice this year, by an additional $22 per day per child.
This has meant that they are in fact worse off, in Julie’s own words, and their savings are non-existent. The reason the centre increased fees to this extent was due to inflation and the government’s wage rise.
We all value the hard work and professionalism of childcare workers—especially in identifying early learning difficulties, as this early intervention can change the course of a young person’s life—and of course childcare workers need to be paid fairly, but there is a delicate balance that needs to be achieved.
Raising wages does not automatically mean Australians are better off. In fact, it can drive up the cost of living for them and others.
So, instead of Julie and Trent choosing to have their son attend child care an extra day a week so Julie could work and earn more money for the family, they have decided it was cheaper and better for Julie to stay at home with their son.
Their story is not an isolated one; it represents the struggles faced by many families in Bonner and across Australia who find themselves falling into a cycle of financial stress despite their best efforts to secure a brighter future for their children.
This is simply not good enough. The government’s measures, even though they were implemented with the best of intentions, are clearly leaving everyday middle Australians behind. We were once known the world over as the country of hard work, reward and opportunity.
But, as Julie said, it feels as though, no matter how hard you work, there is no benefit, there are no savings, there is no getting ahead and there is no reward.
Becoming a mother should be an exciting and joyful time in a woman’s life, but when a woman becomes pregnant without a supportive partner, when facing financial difficulties or without a healthy home environment that joy can quickly turn to fear and dread.
That’s why organisations like Priceless House in my electorate of Bonner are so important.
Located in Mount Gravatt, Priceless House is a beacon of hope for women feeling scared, confused or overwhelmed when confronted with an unexpected pregnancy.
Run by a dedicated team, including 30 volunteers, Priceless House offers free integrated pregnancy support, counselling, mentoring and education to ensure women have the resources they need to make informed decisions.
During my recent visit to Priceless House, the staff shared with me the story of Jess. Jess became pregnant whilst in a relationship.
Unfortunately, her relationship broke down and she was left feeling scared and unsure about her future.
While searching for solutions, Jess came across Priceless House, which she reached out to for support.
Not only did Jess find a safe and welcoming space; she also made lasting friendships.
With guidance and support from Priceless House, Jess felt confident in becoming the mother to a beautiful baby girl, Melody.
I want to say a massive thankyou to the team at Priceless House.
As parliamentarians we have the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life, and today I would like to share the story of a truly remarkable and talented man, Mr Alan Burge.
Alan is an 83-year-old man who is still tuning pianos by ear.
From a young age, Alan loved music, but it wasn’t until a friend asked him to tune an untunable piano that his desire and passion for this unique skill set began.
Reading all the workshop manuals he could and working with expert piano tuners, Alan’s talent for tuning and love of pianos led him to become an expert and then to be elected as secretary of the piano tuners guild.
It wasn’t long before he became the go-to man for tuning pianos in South-East Queensland.
Alan has tuned pianos for celebrities like David Helfgott, as well as for the Brisbane Jazz Club and countless community and local music teachers.
In fact, Alan has been expertly tuning and helping me restore a 1907 Australian made Beale piano in my electorate office in Wynnum.
By doing so, we have preserved this unique piece of history that would otherwise have ended up in landfill.
I’ve always loved listening to the piano, but Alan’s knowledge and expertise has inspired me to admire and appreciate the craftsmanship of pianos just as much as the music they make.
As ABBA said, ‘Without a song or a dance, what are we?’ So I say, Alan, thank you for the music and the joy that you have brought to thousands of people with your passion for tuning pianos.
I wish a very happy 10th birthday to the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed.
10 years ago, Brian Wheeler and other local community members came to me with an idea to start a men’s shed in Mount Gravatt.
Now I’m happy to say that the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed has grown to over 360 active members and is a very important part of our community.
From building chairs and tables for community groups to fixing lawnmowers and fences and restoring old machinery, the Mount Gravatt Men’s Shed is the perfect example of how community supporting community makes a difference.
It’s so much more than just a simple workshop; it’s a sanctuary. Crafted out of old-fashioned mateship, men’s sheds provide a safe, welcoming space for men to come together, chat and engage in meaningful connections.
We all know men are less likely to talk about emotions and their struggles or to ask for help when they need it most.
That’s why men’s sheds are so important.
They bring together individuals who might otherwise feel lost or disconnected, providing them with a sense of purpose and belonging.
This helps to combat social isolation, depression and other mental health challenges that men just don’t want to talk about.
With seven men committing suicide every day across Australia, we all must and need to make sure that institutions like men’s sheds are supported, are well funded and continue to grow.
I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of men’s sheds across Australia.
Planes allow families to be connected and they transport our food, medication and much-needed supplies.
Planes bring in jobs, trade and tourism, injecting money into our local, state and national economy. In my electorate of Bonner, over 1,200 people are directly employed by the Brisbane Airport.
That means the people of Bonner make up around 7.5 per cent of the Brisbane Airport workforce, and one in 70 jobs in Queensland is enabled due to the Brisbane Airport.
From these points alone, it cannot be disputed that we need planes to keep our economy and lives going.
But that does not mean that we should compromise our quality of life for people who live in and have moved into areas where flight paths did not exist, especially if other flight path options are available. Deputy Speaker, the proposed flight path changes by Airservices Australia for an early turn option over Wynnum and the Bayside are not wanted by our local community.
Talking with locals and listening to their feedback, I hear that many people have moved into Wynnum and Manly from areas like Bulimba, Morningside, Camp Hill and Balmoral to avoid living under a flight path.
At the time of this speech, in fact, over 1,700 Wynnum and Bayside locals have signed my petition to stop these proposed flight changes, and I will be presenting this petition to Minister Catherine King and Airservices Australia, highlighting the community’s overwhelming opposition to the early turn flight path option.
Whilst it is clear that these new flight path changes are not wanted, I also want to make it clear that caps and curfews are not an option.
They simply won’t fix the problem.
They will just cause economic problems. Caps and curfews would increase ticket prices and increase the costs of everyday household items, putting more pressure on families during a cost-of-living crisis.
Caps and curfews would mean around 30,000 hardworking Queenslanders, including people in Bonner, would lose their jobs, and the cost would be $2.8 billion by 2032.
That’s a massive cost, and it’s just madness to allow it to happen. It would mean the number of flights, especially to regional and remote areas, would be cut which would be catastrophic for many of these struggling communities. And here is something that we don’t often think about.
Many passengers in planes carry life-saving medicines in the cargo section for people and children who need treatment for things like cancer.
If we implement caps and curfews, we will simply be putting these lives at risk.
I will continue to fight for my community of Bonner. I’ve heard them loud and clear: no early-turn option over the Wynnum and Bayside areas.
Volunteers are the life blood of our community, and that is why each year I run my Bonner volunteer awards to shine a light on their incredible impact on our community.
And I must say, this year’s winners were a truly inspiring.
Congratulations to Marie Byrnes, Jayden Welch, Sean Harrison, Brisbane Bayside Repair Café, Graham Moore, the Redeemer Lutheran College Helping Hands Volunteers, and Mr George Kambouris.
Whilst I don’t have time to go into depth about each winner and their immeasurable contribution to our community, I would like to share the story of Mr George Kambouris.
George was the winner of the overall Bonner Volunteer Award.
Tragically, George passed away on the 1st of May this year.
George was born with spina bifida and dedicated his life to two things: striving for excellence in any endeavour he pursued and providing support to others in the community through various means.
He initiated the “Living on Wheels Program” to assist and mentor young individuals confined to wheelchairs, enabling them to actively participate in sports at the Carindale PCYC.
Instead of using his disability as a reason not to achieve, he used it as an incentive to excel and show others how they too could achieve their goals.
To further honour George’s incredible legacy, I would like to announce that next year’s award will include the George Kambouris Bonner Volunteer Award.
This country is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Interest rates are rising, everyday household items are becoming more expensive and families are worried about making ends meet.
Whilst times are certainly tough for Australians, there is an underlying contributing factor that we are simply not speaking about: Australia’s declining financial literacy standards.
Financial literacy is the possession of the skills and knowledge necessary to make smart and informed decisions about your personal finances. It is one of the most basic and important skill sets that every person and Australian should and must have.
Whether they’re trying to save for their first house, paying for their child’s education or making their weekly shopping list, every day every Australian makes personal financial decisions that impact their bottom line.
Alarmingly, though, 86 per cent of Australians do not know or understand their monthly expenses.
Australia also ranks fifth in the world out of all the OECD countries for the highest percentage of household debt, and now we have a combined total of over $17 billion of personal credit card debt in this country.
Simply put, Australians’ relationship with their own money needs to change.
This is not a mindset or cycle we want our children and grandchildren to fall into.
That’s why I’m calling upon the federal government to introduce compulsory financial literacy as part of the national curriculum.
If we look at where our children receive their financial literacy from, most children get their personal financial understanding from either their parents or maths based subjects in school.
But with only 50 per cent of Australian adults considered to be financially literate, and a significant decrease in enrolments in maths- and economics-based subjects in senior years, it is clear that we have a problem.
If we delve into this even further, the fact that maths is not compulsory in all Australian states and territories in senior years and that boys usually outnumber girls by two to one in maths based subjects means that we have created a very real situation in which some children, especially young girls, grow up never having an informed discussion about their personal finances.
No wonder there is a direct correlation between increased rates of homelessness amongst women and a lack of financial literacy.
Financial literacy in schools would help reduce homelessness amongst women as it would give young girls the skills to be more actively engaged in managing their own finances later in life.
Financial literacy in schools would also improve mental health and the wellbeing of Australians. A recent study by ASIC and Beyond Blue highlights that people who are experiencing financial challenges are twice as likely to have experienced mental health challenges.
Financial stress also leads to relationship and marriage breakdowns, increased depression and anxiety, and an overall decrease in the quality of their life.
So, not only does this motion help with creating better financial habits for the next generation; it also helps address the social and emotional wellbeing of Australians.
Financial literacy in schools would make not only our households grow stronger and more adaptable but so, too, our nation.
It is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation is equipped with the skills that they need to be confident in making smart personal financial decisions so that they can get ahead, especially as we become a cashless society, where knowing what a dollar is and understanding the value of that dollar will become increasingly difficult for future generations to understand.
What is a budget? How do interest rates work? What are the implications of credit scores and superannuation? How to save, how to invest and how to live within your means should be taught in schools and must become compulsory as part of our National Curriculum.
Financial literacy in schools would mean that those children born into disadvantaged families could learn in the classroom how to save and invest and work towards a better life.
Financial literacy in schools would mean that we could help the next generation avoid unnecessary household and credit card debt, because they would be smarter about their financial choices.
And financial literacy in schools would mean creating a generation of financially resilient Australians who are in control of their own money.
The Motion
I move:
That this House:
(1) recognises that;
(a) financial literacy rates in Australia are in decline;
(b) enrolments in economic based subjects, which incorporate financial literacy in the national curriculum, has declined by 70 per cent over the past three decades;
(c) enrolments in maths-based subjects has decreased from 76 per cent to 66 per cent in 2020, and boys outnumber girls 2 to 1 in these subjects;
(d) only around 50 per cent of Australians are considered financially literate, with women having significantly worse outcomes compared to their male counterparts;
(e) on average, 50 per cent of Australians live pay-check to pay-check;
(f) financial hardship is one of the most commonly cited contributors to poor mental health;
(g) Australian students are falling behind other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations in financial literacy performance, based on the Program for International Student Assessment Survey data;
(h) 20 per cent of Australian students do not meet baseline levels of financial literacy; and
(i) the 2021 Australian Government Australian Financial Capability Survey indicates that 94 per cent of young Australians aged 14 to 17 either agreed or strongly agreed that is important to learn how to manage their money; and
(2) calls on:
(a) the Government to make financial literacy a compulsory part of the national curriculum and extend this into the senior years of schooling; and
(b) all Members of Parliament to support measured and considered action to improve financial literacy outcomes in this country across all demographics.
For my latest speech in Parliament on financial literacy, click here
