In these remarks I want to say a little about how the COVID pandemic has affected our cities, and how this in turn affects the role of governments in securing a better urban future. Of course, I’ll touch particularly on the challenges and opportunities facing my - our - hometown, but I hope you’ll appreciate that the perspective and policies I’ll be discussing are more broadly applicable. In considering the experiences of the p...
Read MoreGovernment members like to talk about how the first duty of national government is to keep Australians safe, and of course, they are right to say so. But these words are being undermined, in particular by the Prime Minister
Read MoreLast week The Economist observed that, while in February 2020 around 5% of hours worked by Americans were worked from home, three months later that proportion had grown to six in ten. A similar thing happened in Australia, too - indeed, across advanced economies.
Read MoreOur growth areas have borne the brunt of the health impacts of the pandemic- 7 of the 10 local government areas with the highest caseloads across the country are NGAA members. These are the places where most essential workers live - the people who’ve kept us going these past 18 months.
Read MoreWe need to hear a lot more from the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Payne about this, the reaction of France is something we have to take very, very seriously. France is not only a long-standing ally, but it is a very significant partner in the Pacific. Indonesia of course is our nearest neighbour and an absolutely vital partner. So we do need to understand, while of course Labor welcomes the strategic opportunities of this expanded partne...
Read MoreFrom here in Parliament today, my thoughts are with the people of my hometown in Melbourne, dealing with that anxious wait for the daily case numbers and all the other numbers that shape the progress of the day and the prospects for the future. I know that these people, particularly those in the northern suburbs, who send me here to speak on their behalf, are also anxious for leadership.
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