Russell Broadbent here, your independent Member for Monash.
It’s the final parliamentary sitting week of 2024 – so I thought it would be timely to reflect on the past 12 months.
It’s been a big year – full of unexpected, unprecedented and unusual events.
But we’ve also seen people come together and rise in the face of adversity to regain hope, control and belonging.
The people spoke out – screamed out – against the heinous mis and dis information bill - which was rightly binned by the government at the beginning of this week.
Back in June 2023 when I first heard about the possibility of it being introduced, I wrote to Peter Dutton and all of my parliamentary colleagues in this house to express my utter dismay.
Any nation that allows its government to become the arbiter of truth, or shut down questioning and debate, is doomed.
I always have and always will oppose any threat to the freedoms of Australians.
Talking of freedoms, I was very pleased to hear the Treasurer had listened to our campaign on cash, with the Government guaranteeing cash for trade in essential services.
This is non-negotiable in times of emergency, especially in regional areas.
After all, cash is king when your cards are cactus.
Another win for regional communities is the government’s intention to incentivise the banking industry to keep branches open in rural areas.
Whilst these wins are all worth celebrating, I fear there is a dark storm brewing over this nation.
Neither the Labor Party nor Liberal Party have put forward a convincing case as to how they will address the most pressing issue for every Australian – the cost of living.
Australians are paying more for energy, more for housing, and more at the checkout. Inflation has not improved. The economy is in dire straits.
Then there’s the reckless Net Zero agenda, which will send our nation broke and into blackout.
Australia must go back to the cheapest energy system available, and that is the one we have in our own backyard – coal for baseload power, and gas for peaking.
What happened to common sense?
Most disappointingly is the Prime Minister’s decision not to hold a Royal Commission into the Covid response. This is an affront to the Australian people, as is the closure of the covid vaccine compensation scheme.
I continue to hear harrowing stories from vaccine injured Australians every day who feel betrayed and abandoned by this government.
Just this afternoon, I heard that firefighters in Victoria are still unable to work due to covid vaccine mandates.
This is outrageous.
These brave men and women of service to our community are on edge, and I know several are on suicide watch.
How can this possibly be?
As I reflect on this year, I’m seeing the real-time impacts of distress, doubt and disappointment felt by hardworking and exhausted Australians.
But I say to anyone listening: after darkness, light always comes. Australians are resilient and I know that by coming together we will overcome times of trial and tribulation.
