Today I rise to pay my respect to and honour a remarkable group of Australians who have been unwavering in their support for and have sustained me in my fight to protect our freedoms, especially our fundamental rights to bodily autonomy and freedom of speech. While I know there's always a risk in naming individuals, I cannot possibly list everyone who's played a part. I want to acknowledge the extraordinary commitment, tenacity and courage of the following people. These are the people who have consistently stood for truth and justice, no matter the personal or professional costs—medical professionals like doctors Julie Sladden, Chris Neil, Duncan Syme, Jeyanthi Kundahasan, Melissa McCann, Phil Altman, Judy Wilyman, David Bell and Kara Thomas; professors Ian Brighthope, Gigi Foster and Kylie O'Brien; lawyers Katie Ashby-Koppens, Julian Gillespie and Tony Nikolic; journalists Rebekah Barnett, Maryanne DeMassi and Elizabeth Hart; and, of course, former Qantas pilot Graham Hood, former paramedic John Larter and firefighter Josh Hawkes, who, despite being terminated from their jobs due to COVID mandates, have turned their adversity into a powerful force for truth and justice. A special mention goes to Katie Ashby-Koppens, who, as part of a small but determined team at the Aligned Council of Australia, a peak group representing over 1.8 million Australians, led the charge against the chilling and Orwellian mis- and disinformation bill, a bill that would have legalised state sanctioned surveillance and censorship.

In mid-2023, I wrote to all my fellow parliamentarians to sound the alarm about this heinous bill. Now, thanks to the efforts of thousands of Australians, the bill has been axed—for now at least. Today I'm proud to present to the House the 'Save the truth, Stop the Mad Bill' petition, which has been considered by the petitions committee and found to be in order.

The petition read as follows—

The proposed Misinformation and Disinformation Bill threatens to undermine freedom of speech and limit open public discourse in Australia. The Bill grants excessive powers to regulate online content, which could lead to censorship and stifling of independent opinions and media, putting our democratic values at risk. We believe that it is essential for the Australian people to retain the right to express their views without unnecessary government intervention.

We, the undersigned, believe that the proposed Misinformation and Disinformation Bill poses a significant threat to freedom of speech in Australia. This Bill risks undermining open dialogue and censoring independent voices by granting excessive regulatory powers over online content. We urge the House of Representatives to reject this Bill and protect the rights of Australians to freely express their opinions and access diverse information without undue government control.

From 908 citizens (Petition No. PN0630)

Petition received.

To all who signed: I applaud your courage in standing up for freedom of speech in this country. You recognised that this bill posed a grave threat to our ability to speak freely, exchange ideas and access information without undue government control—which brings me to another person I want to honour today.

Professor Robyn Cosford, a functional medicine doctor, educator and researcher, with 38 years of experience in nutritional and environmental medicine, has been a driving force behind the 'David Declaration', a powerful initiative born from the voices of thousands of Australians calling on the government to investigate the safety of COVID vaccines. The David Declaration outlines 10 clear demands for open and transparent dialogue about the TGA's vaccine safety and testing processes and a further 13 statements calling for the restoration of the health and wellbeing of all Australians.

When COVID hit, like many integrative doctors and health professionals, Robyn questioned why the world was being forced to take experimental vaccines for what was in essence a flu-like illness when safe and time-tested treatments like vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and affordable, re-purposed drugs like Ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and antibiotics have been shown to work. Robyn has been key in rallying doctors and health practitioners globally in support of my letters to the Prime Minister and health minister regarding DNA contamination in COVID vaccine vials—something the government has stubbornly ignored despite the growing body of evidence. This contamination may be linked to the surge in turbo cancers and autoimmune and neurological diseases that are becoming far too common in Western countries. So why isn't the government at least following this up?

Next week, the David Declaration website will go live. The name is a tribute to Dr David Speicher, the researcher who first identified the DNA contamination in Australian vaccine vials and to the David-and-Goliath struggle we're facing. Hundreds of medical professionals have already pledged to support the declaration, and soon the general public will also be able to sign. I'll share the link next week.

I'm truly honoured to have worked alongside such remarkable and brave individuals, and those I have named are just a few of the many inspiring people I've had the privilege to stand with over the last three years in this 47th Parliament. Together we continue to fight for truth, justice and the freedoms that define us as Australians. I say: follow the money, find the truth, and the truth will set you free.

I also acknowledge in the chamber tonight the member for Moreton, who I think is about to speak. I had the privilege of working with the member for Moreton on the House of Representatives human rights committee. I found him to be a person above reproach in his approach to the difficult issues we faced at the time. He is a gentleman in all his ways and a man who thought very deeply about the issues around human rights in Australia. He has been an adornment to this parliament. I thought it was very unfair and very uncharitable of the Speaker in this 47th Parliament to eject the member for Moreton from the parliament on his last day of sitting—the only reason being that his voice is a voice that can be heard.

Russell Broadbent here, your Federal Member for Monash.

One year ago today, the community of Mirboo North and surrounds were hit by an unexpected tornado-like storm. The destruction - including massive trees which snapped like match sticks - was unprecedented, and with the storm ravaged community completely cut off from the outside world, people were forced to band together to support one another.

One of those groups that stepped in were the Wednesday Warriors from the Men’s Shed – a group of men whose ongoing dedication to the community continues to make a real difference.

As they reminded me recently, we all know that disaster can strike at any time, so it’s essential we’re as prepared as we can be for the unexpected. Based on their experience, here are a few tips from the Wednesday Warriors:

Number 1 – Access to clean drinking water: without power, or gravity-induced free-flow, many Mirboo North residents were left without water to drink, cook and clean with

Number 2 – Tinned and packaged food: but remember the can-openers! And remember stores of pet food. I know Caesar wouldn’t be happy, my dog, without his tucker.

Number 3 – Communications: with storm damage wiping out infrastructure, many people didn’t have power or phone access. Make a plan about how you might manage if communication networks are out for a prolonged period of time, including who you might check with like loved ones and neighbours.

Number 4 – Power: while battery-powered items were helpful, access to a generator or even knowing who has a generator is helpful.

Number 5 - Matches, lighters, spare fuel and gas: all essential for cooking and powering tools for clearing debris and improving immediate safety of damaged areas.

Number 6 - Hygiene products, medications – there was a severe shortage of hygiene products and difficulty accessing medications in Mirboo North.

Number 7 - Keep a stash of cash somewhere.

I encourage all communities to prepare and maintain readiness for anything that comes our way.

And a special thanks once again to everyone who’s stepped up in Mirboo North to support those in need over the past year.

Russell Broadbent here, your Independent Member for Monash. 

You may have seen that the Australian Classification Board has asked for more power which would allow them to reclassify old books, films and television shows against today’s community standards. 

The Australia that I know and love promotes robust debate and honest conversation.  

So, I find it deeply alarming that another unelected bureaucratic agency is fishing for yet more control and power over our freedoms.  

George Orwell famously said ‘who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.’ 

Yes, what the Classification Board are asking for isn’t necessarily censorship, but it is certainly an attempt to control the narrative. 

Controlling the narrative…now where have we heard that before? … 

As Geordie Williamson said in The Australian, ‘both sides of politics have sought to re-establish themselves as arbiters of what the rest of us may see, hear or read.’ 

Just look at the Mis and Disinformation Bill, which was scrapped after an unrelenting grassroots campaign calling for our freedoms to be protected.  

I dare say that in some ten, fifteen, twenty years from now, our seemingly perfect and ‘woke’ present will not be deemed acceptable against future community standards. 

It’s incomprehensible to me that what was the social norm in the past will be measured against today’s standards. 

I’m all about rewriting history when it comes to ensuring that we don’t make the same mistakes of the past. 

But I’m not about rewriting history when the purpose is to control the narrative.  

That’s justice as I see it.  

Censoring the past robs us of our cultural future | The Australian 

Russell Broadbent here, your Independent Member for Monash.

It doesn’t take a genius to look at Australia’s current energy crisis to work out there’s a problem – a big problem.

Last week in The Australian newspaper there was a scathing piece on Minister Bowen’s poor handling of the energy portfolio.

As the article’s author stated:

  1. Our electricity prices are higher – and the government’s energy rebates have done little to ease the hip pocket pain of taxpayers
  2. Our energy security risks are rising – how many threats of power blackouts have we had in recent years?
  3. Growth in renewables is collapsing;
  4. Investment in fossil fuels has fallen; and
  5. Australia’s reputation for investment is in dire straits.

Whether you sit in the fossil fuel or renewables camp is irrelevant here. In plain terms – at the moment, everyone’s losing.

We’re seeing higher energy bills. We’re seeing Aussie taxpayers funding unviable subsidies and policies, and we’re seeing approval ratings for renewable and fossil fuel companies alike dropping fast.

We need to cut through all this mess and focus on what really matters to everyday Australians: access to cheap, reliable power.

It is that simple.

I have said it many, many times before: Australia is rich with natural resources. Our competitive advantage is in coal and gas.

Pressing that advantage will make sure every Australian can benefit from the natural wealth of this nation.

That way, everyone can be a winner. 

That’s justice as I see it. 

Russell Broadbent here, your Independent Member for Monash.

Last December, the Albanese Government agreed to deliver a 15 per cent wage increase for Early Childhood Education and Care workers.

This works out to be around an extra $100 per week in the pockets of our essential childcare workers, with the Government set to chip in $3.6 billion dollars to make it happen.

Now, the money from this $3.6 billion dollar grant, delivered by the Department of Education, was meant to cover the government’s mandated wage increases for childcare workers.

But it turns out to be all smoke and mirrors.

The Australian newspaper reported last week that the Federal Education Department’s grant guidelines had left 85 per cent of the nation’s childcare workers without their promised $100 a week pay rise.

And those small day care owners – the ones we see in regional areas like ours – have rightly railed against the bureaucratic red tape, opting to ignore the grant and hike their fees up instead.

Which means it’s the parents who will pay more in the long run.

The grant sounds great in theory – small businesses wouldn’t be forced to rip money out of thin air to cover mandated wage increases for their workers.

But it’s not so great when, as one daycare owner puts it, “it takes two admin staff with three 8 hour working days to see whether it’s even worth them applying”!

So, I agree with this daycare owner when she says this grant is a joke.

I agree when she says that time-consuming compliance has gone through the roof.

And I agree when she says the system is complicated, difficult to understand and was rolled out too fast without proper consultation.

Our early educators do some of the most important work in the country, but at the same time they’re the most under paid and under-valued.

So what good is a wage rise if it’s not going to these valuable and hardworking people?

It’s smoke and mirrors.

And that’s justice as I see it.

Deputy Speaker

More than 140,000 Australians have logged adverse reactions to the not so safe and ineffective COVID vaccines on the TGA’s database.

But thousands of these Australians have been unable to access compensation due to the scheme’s overly onerous requirements and very narrow eligibility criteria.

People like Tracey, who’s come to my office today …and Bernice, Dirk, Jason, Jerry, Joel, Kara, Karen, Linn, Margaret, Michelle, Naomi, Orida, Rado and Sandra.

But Chris, a 51-year-old father of two, was more fortunate – or at least he thought so.

With the help of a lawyer - Chris navigated his way to secure compensation after suffering horrific life altering injuries from the Covid vaccine.

This process included 12 months compiling more than 1000 pages of documents and then a further 500 days for the claim to be assessed and settled!

Chris’ financial settlement, is in the millions of dollars, compensating him for not just the short-term impacts of his injury, but also lost income, given  he’s unable to return to his career of 30 years.

But Chris’ horrific story doesn’t end here.

It turns out his compensation will be subject to full taxation in the year that the payment is received. This means that around one third of his compensation will be lost in tax, and returned to the very same government that mandated these unsafe and un-trialled vaccines. 

In my opinion, this is cruel, callous and unconscionable behaviour by government agencies, and completely at odds with the intent of the compensation scheme.

Russell Broadbent here, independent Member for Monash.

Truth. Wisdom. Justice. Fairness. Freedom.

These are the values that I have stood by during my years as a parliamentarian.

Whether in the Liberal Party or as an independent, I have always been driven by values-based leadership what is right, not what is politically expedient.

Issues that lie close to the heart of Monash residents – issues like cost of living, energy prices, supporting our farmers, families and small businesses. I engage directly with the community and actively advocate for what matters most to them.  

My focus has always been on getting what’s best for Monash. I have worked tirelessly for new and improved infrastructure of this electorate – from big projects like the L. Rigby Cancer Centre in Wonthaggi and funding to address erosion at Inverloch and Silverleaves, to the small ones that make a big difference – like installing the Prom Views Street Library in Walkerville or sprucing up the Community Hub in Longwarry.  

I have a deep understanding of the issues that matter most – big or small.

After all, I am answerable to you, the people. I am not motivated by towing the party lines or being a career politician.

I am not, and never have been, a yes man - I crossed the floor when I was a member of the Liberal party. I am prepared to take a stand when it matters – even when it puts my career on the line.

Over the past 12 months or so, I have spoken to many people across this beautiful electorate.

They are rightly concerned about the path this nation is on. They are concerned about our national identity, and how we, as a nation, should navigate what’s to come.

We are in unprecedented, uncertain and unexpected times. I believe that we are entering a difficult political climate, and no one knows what the next few years will bring.  

But far from being lost in the wilderness, the path ahead is clear. I have unfinished business.

I have spoken to many people from Monash who have called on me to stand for the seat of Monash in 2025.

And that is exactly what I intend to do.

I also announce today that I will not be canvassing or accepting any donations. And if I receive them, they will be respectfully declined and returned.

Reason being I do not want to be beholden to any individual, group or party. As an independent, I want you to know that I am working in your interests and not for any other interest group.

However, I do need help on polling booths or putting a sign in your front yard, or just your conversation amongst your fellows.

Monash needs a representative who has the experience and tenacity to advocate for what is best for the region.

And I have the strength, expertise and wisdom to be more than just a voice for Monash.

It was my great pleasure to speak with Professor Augusto Zimmerman and Emeritus Professor Gabriel Moens who recalled their views on the gross misuse of power by government officials during Covid.

Professor Zimmerman said: “The government was the main agent of misinformation during this period. The social media outlets didn’t act on their own and the Government of the day were instructing outlets to exercise censorship to those that had a better answer to the crisis. What they did was absolutely appalling and I hope and I pray that one day these people can be brought to account because what they did was criminal.”

To view the full version of our chat, please visit: Chat with Professors Zimmerman and Moens (Full Version) - YouTube

I recently asked Elizabeth Hart about the concept of ‘duty of care’ and why so many doctors didn’t speak up about the need for informed consent in relation to vaccine mandates.

Elizabeth responded “They should have been questioning…AHPRA put out a position statement about the COVID-19 roll out which basically conscripted the practitioners to support that roll out, and it was made clear in the position statement that they are not allowed to question what was going on, that they would be at risk of being accused of that anti vaccination and suspended”.

Last year I spoke with human rights lawyer Peter Fam about the No Jab No Pay, No Jab No Play laws.

Peter rightly asks how can the Human Rights Commission justify the legality of the NJNP when it’s impossible for a parent to give free, full and informed consent when they’re under pressure or financial duress. 

I’ll be writing to the Human Rights Commission with this exact question.

One of the greatest things that happened to my family was that we were born and raised in this great south land.

To celebrate Australia Day and our national flag, I have a limited number of FREE ‘Proud Australian’ stickers to give away.

If you are a Monash resident you can get yours by: 1. Dropping by my office in Warragul and collecting one in person. 2: Send me a message with your postal address, and I’ll mail it to you!

#ProudAustralian #ProudOfOurFlag #ProudOfOurNation

During the 20th century women fought hard to secure fundamental rights and freedoms including the vote.  But it seems there is a new battle being fought – a fight to protect women-only spaces. 

These spaces play a vital role in ensuring the privacy, security, and safety of women.

The recent Tickle v. Giggle case has brought this issue into sharp focus. This case involved a legal challenge to the exclusion of males from the women-only social media platform Giggle. The women lost.  At the heart of this case is Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act 1984, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. But the Act also recognises the need for single-sex spaces. For example, Section 33 protects women-only spaces or services, such as shelters, changing rooms, bathrooms, toilets, and women’s sport.

These provisions exist to protect privacy, safety, and equality for women. The law recognizes that these exemptions are important for safeguarding hard fought for women's rights. And yet the court’s decision failed to uphold this.

Failing to protect women’s spaces could have far-reaching, adverse consequences. Without clear boundaries, we risk undermining the primary purpose of these spaces—to provide women with environments where they feel safe, protected and respected. This is particularly crucial for women who have experienced violence, harassment, or trauma. If these spaces are eroded or made less secure, women may be left vulnerable and deprived of access to services, support, and safety.

As highlighted in the case, women’s spaces also include social and community spaces online.  Erosion of women’s online spaces discourages women from fully engaging in their social networks and communities and significantly compromises their safety and wellbeing. This is a huge step backwards for women’s rights.

The Tickle v. Giggle case reminds us that while inclusivity is important, it cannot come at the expense of women’s rights. We must strike a balance that respects all individuals while preserving the integrity of spaces that have been designed specifically for women.

And that’s justice, as I see it.

Russell Broadbent MP
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