17 October - McKinnon Prize - Allegra Spender

Hi Vicky,

Earlier this month, I was honoured to receive the McKinnon Prize for Emerging Political Leadership.

McKinnon is an independent organisation led by people from across the political spectrum and dedicated to strengthening our democracy.

At the core of McKinnon is a belief I deeply share - that politics can still be ambitious, decent and outward-looking.

There are many people I owe thanks to, but today I especially want to thank you - the people of Wentworth.

I am proud to represent a community that has committed itself so strongly to politics done differently. Since day one in this job, the people of Wentworth have led the way, with their ideas, passion, expertise, and energy.

One thing I’ve learned over the last four years is how important it is to engage people in their democracy - especially those who disagree with you. Another is how critical it is to deal with the hard issues that really matter. That’s why I took on tax reform – because growing prosperity and ensuring everyone has a stake in the future is the best antidote to the extremism and polarisation we see growing around the world.

Read the full article in the Sydney Morning Herald here

I often get asked what surprises me about my job. It is the joy this work gives me. I knew I would find it meaningful, but I didn’t know I would find it so joyful. It is a special honour to be recognised for doing something I love.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support and engagement – you make all that we’ve achieved together possible.

And here is an update on what we’ve been doing in the last few weeks.

Parliament and Policy Update

A community win on superannuation tax reform

You may have seen the government’s announcement last week on their revisions to the proposed changes for tax concessions on large superannuation balances. I wanted to highlight this, as it’s a real example of our community’s voice shaping national policy.

Back in 2023, when the government first proposed its changes, I ran a survey to understand our community’s perspectives. Over 1,400 Wentworth constituents responded.

There was widespread support for reducing the generous concessions on very large super balances to make the system less reliant on younger workers. But two major concerns:

Taxing unrealised gains was seen as unfair and a deterrent to investment in our start-ups and innovative small businesses
The lack of indexation on thresholds risked capturing more people over time

So, I took these concerns to the government repeatedly over the last two years and held them to account publicly and privately.

I am very pleased that the revised proposal addresses both issues and introduces an increase in the tax offset for low-income earners to boost their super earnings.

People sometimes ask how an independent like me can make a difference. I think achievements like this are a pretty good answer. With your support I’ve taken your concerns to parliament and the media and then made the case for better policy. It wasn’t easy, but we made a difference.

I will be closely reviewing the legislation to ensure it delivers as promised and continue to push for broader tax reform that supports younger Australians, business investment and productivity.

Freedom of Information

Right now, Australia’s Freedom of Information act gives the public a right to access government documents and information – subject to some exemptions.

This is intended to increase public participation in our democracy and promote better informed decision making. Worthwhile objectives we all share.

However, the government is now proposing an Amendment Bill which would weaken FOI by:

Broadening FOI exemptions to a wider range of documents
Adding new grounds for refusing FOI requests
Introducing a fee for FOI applications
Prohibiting anonymous requests, (and so deterring whistleblowers)

Our FOI act is one of the public’s most powerful accountability tools. While our current system has weaknesses and could do with a revamp, the changes the government has put forward, and their justifications for them, aren’t backed up.

I have serious concerns about these amendments, particularly because the government already has a poor track record on transparency. The proportion of FOI requests granted in full has halved since this government’s election in 2022.

I am also concerned about the process as the government did not engage in proper consultation with experts before proposing their amendment bill.

That’s why in the last sitting week of Parliament, I and other crossbenchers called on the Government to abandon its flawed bill and adopt the Centre for Public Integrity’s comprehensive FOI Reform blueprint.

I also pushed the Prime Minister on this during Question Time but unfortunately did not receive a constructive response.

I know how important this is to our community, and will continue to advocate for greater transparency.

Gambling reform

It has been more than 840 days since the late Peta Murphy tabled her landmark report on the harms of online gambling - with 31 unanimous recommendations.

The Government still has not responded.

I have heard so many stories from our community about how gambling has torn lives apart and in August I attended a gambling roundtable in Parliament where a woman bravely shared her story of her brother’s suicide while struggling with a gambling addiction.

Earlier this month I resigned from the Parliamentary Sports Club – which the Prime Minister is president of - when it became clear it was being sponsored by the gambling lobby. In the last sitting week, I was glad to attend a panel on gambling harm hosted by David Pocock and Kate Chaney and will continue working with the crossbench on this issue.

We know gambling is affecting families across Australia, yet the Government still fails to act decisively.

It is time they showed the same courage as the late Peta Murphy, and did the right thing by Australians.

Protecting Australian stories

Since the 1970s, Australian TV networks have been required by law to broadcast local content. But streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+ face no such obligation, putting our screen industry and over 55,000 jobs at risk.

Meeting with local screen producers

Wentworth is home to many screen professionals and creatives, and I have been hearing their concerns directly. Labor has promised quotas at the last three elections but has yet to deliver.

I have called on the government to legislate a 20 per cent local content quota by 2026. Public pressure matters, so if this is important to you, please consider signing the petition at saveaustralianstories.com.au.

Inquiry to the Thriving Kids Initiative

Recently, the Federal Government announced that it will be making significant changes to how it supports children under 8 with mild to moderate developmental delay and autism, and their families.

These changes will come through a new Thriving Kids initiative, which will commence from July 1st 2026 and has been referred to a parliamentary committee for review.

As part of my submission to the inquiry on behalf of Wentworth, I asked our community to fill out a survey on the NDIS. These were some of the main findings:

The majority of parents or carers (67%) found it difficult to get a diagnosis for their child
Only 12% of parents found it easy to access support services and interventions
The most cited barrier to diagnosis and support was wait times
In the wider community, the cost of the NDIS on our budget was a concern

Many respondents acknowledged room for refinement in the existing NDIS system – and put forward valuable recommendations – but felt they had not been adequately informed on the changes which were less than 12 months away.

Thank you so much to everyone who filled out the survey. Your voices shaped the submission we put to the government, and I look forward to sharing this with you when it becomes publicly available.

Upcoming Events

Community Refugee Sponsorship - Information Night

The CRISP program enables community members to directly support refugee families settling in Australia. Wentworth was one of the leading electorates in the pilot program, and I am proud it is now permanent.

I am hosting an information evening with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia to explain how you can get involved. I would love to see you there.

RSVP here

Pop-Up Offices

I will be back out in the community at upcoming pop-up offices in:

Paddington – 22^nd October 10:30AM @ Fiveways
Bronte – 31^st October 8:30AM @ Huxtons
Woollahra – 7^th November 10:30AM @ Queen Street

Please come by if you would like to share your views!

Community News

Head On Photo Festival

The Head On Photo Festival returns from November 7th – 20th! There will be stunning photo exhibits at Bondi Pavilion Gallery, as well as outdoor displays throughout Paddington Reservoir Gardens and along Bondi Beach. For more info click here.

Ocean Lovers Festival - Schools Program

The Ocean Lovers Festival is coming up next March, but right now they have two creative competitions running for K-12 students! Litterarty is about turning ocean rubbish into art and FishTank is for young changemakers to pitch ideas on ocean protection. Entries for both will close on December 15th, click here for more info.