Speeches

August 20, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (11:32): I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Adviser Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2026. Although this bill derives its name from...

August 20, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (09:07): The motion is seconded. Women in my community and around the country are despairing this week. This week we learned that three boys from Scots College, aged...

August 19, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:12): I rise to speak to the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. I acknowledge that managed growth was a recommendation of the Universities Accord,...

August 19, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:10): by leave—I move amendments (1) to (6), as circulated in my name, together: 1) Clause 6, page 5 (after line 1), after the definition of charge offset, insert:...

August 18, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:40): I move amendments (1) to (11) as circulated in my name together: (1) Schedule 1, item 1, page 4 (line 8), at the end of paragraph (3)(g),...

August 17, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (11:11): I rise in support of this motion, and I thank the member for Indi for moving it. We are at a critical juncture. First, we need to...

August 17, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:33): I rise to speak about the fantastic news that last week whistleblower and Wentworth constituent David McBride was released from prison on parole. I send all my...

August 13, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (09:36): Today I want to pay tribute to a remarkable Australian, Bob Montgomery. Bob and his grandson, Tom, recently rode more than 5,000 kilometres, from Broome to Bob's...

August 13, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (11:52): I want to talk today about the disconnect between politics and community and then about small business and why that should be our focus right now. When...

August 12, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (19:30): Less than two weeks ago, ministers and parliamentarians from this place joined Indigenous leaders and leaders from all across Australia at the Garma Festival. Organised by the...

August 12, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (20:29): I rise today to speak on the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 and a related bill. The proliferation of gambling advertising across Australia has harmed...

August 11, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:29): I rise to speak in support of this bill. This bill strengthens the existing mandatory reporting scheme for medicine shortages. Sponsors will now be required to notify...

July 01, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:30): I rise in support of the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2026 but also to urge the government to go further on it. I welcome the fact that...

July 01, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:34): Across Australia, we're seeing rising threats to women's access to abortion care. We see it in bills in state parliaments. We see it in the way some...

June 30, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:08): Today I want to pay tribute to two incredible humans from Wentworth, people who have shown unwavering community spirit and courage. The first is Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins....

June 30, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (19:11): I rise to speak on the Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026, which strengthens enforcement of the social media minimum age....

June 25, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:30): Last night, in his annual threat assessment, the Director-General of ASIO, Mike Burgess, warned that Australia's rising terrorist threat is being fuelled by social media. His warning...

June 24, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (17:48): The problem the amendments address is that part 9 of the bill hands the minister sweeping new powers with no statutory limits, no required consultation and no...

June 24, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:31): Thank you to the member for Warringah for bringing forward this matter of public importance to the parliament. The National AI Plan commits to capturing the opportunity...

June 24, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (11:15): The Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No. 1) Bill 2026 makes several changes to the Fair Work Act and related legislation. Most I support; one...

June 23, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:30): I'm thrilled to speak about two amazing initiatives from my electorate. The first is Cosy Companion, started by a young constituent Skye and her friend Ina. Both...

June 22, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (19:06): Australia once led the world on tobacco control. Plain packaging, graphic warnings, non-smoking areas, information campaigns and excise yielded substantial government revenues and, more importantly, created a...

June 22, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:14): I move: That this bill be now read a second time. It has been an incredibly challenging few years for Australia's small-business community. We've had the COVID...

June 04, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:47): I have been fiercely advocating for tax reform since getting into this parliament. I believe strongly in reforms that ensure younger Australians get a fair go and...

June 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:57): For a long time, I have campaigned hard for the day when this House would be debating the substantive details of tax reform instead of talking about...

June 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (09:30): I often say that this job brings me joy, and a big part of that joy is getting to see up close just how much volunteers do...

June 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:33): Government spending sits at 26.8 per cent of GDP against a 50-year average of 24.5 per cent, and it is forecast to remain elevated across the entire...

June 02, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:07): Australians are losing faith in AUKUS, if they ever had it. It is time for the government to be transparent on the risks to the delivery of...

May 28, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (11:09): I move: That the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Bill 2026 be referred to...

May 27, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:14): The National Disability Insurance Scheme is one of the most important social programs in Australia's history. Across this country, it has changed lives in ways that go...

May 26, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:30): The government's recent response to the Murphy report was long overdue—889 days late. But, when the document was finally tabled, it didn't respond to each recommendation. Instead,...

May 25, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:02): I want to speak today about an issue that is raised constantly by the people of Wentworth: child care—specifically cost, access and safety. Australia has some of...

May 25, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (17:57): I rise to speak on this motion. I want to acknowledge the 21 women we have lost to intimate partner and family violence in just this year...

May 14, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:47): I move: (1) Schedule 1, page 6 (after line 32), after item 8, insert: 8A After subsection 122.5(4) of the Criminal Code Insert: (4AA) Where a defendant seeks...

May 13, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:02): I rise today with honour to speak in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (The Survivors Law) Bill 2026. Before I address the substance of the bill, I want...

May 13, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:36): I rise in support of the Secrecy Provisions Amendment (Repealing Offences) Bill 2026. This is some of the most significant reform to Commonwealth secrecy law in...

April 01, 2026

  Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (09:45): Yesterday I had the privilege of touring the newly completed Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial with the Parliamentary Friends of Veterans. It was a...

March 31, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:21): I rise today to honour the life and legacy of Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO, whose contribution to Australia's cultural life was profound and enduring. Across the arts,...

March 30, 2026

  Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:55): When markets seize in moments of heightened risk, there is a clear and legitimate role for government to step in and stabilise outcomes in the national...

March 30, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:30): As of this morning, 5,841 Australians have taken the time to send an email to their own MPs through the Tax Reform Now campaign, asking for responsible...

March 25, 2026

Ms SPENDER(Wentworth) (17:57): I rise to support the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026. One of the things Australians are most proud of...

March 23, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (17:49): I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Bill 2025 and express my support for this bill....

March 12, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:00): I'm here to talk about AI, particularly how it's going to affect not only Wentworth but, actually, our country. AI is a huge opportunity, but it is...

March 12, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:08): Australia is an energy superpower. Few countries are as richly endowed with energy resources as we are, both those of the past and those of the future....

March 05, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:53): I move: (1) Schedule 1, item 14, page 8 (after line 19), after section 296-25, insert: 296-26 Exemption — one-off amnesty If your superannuation balance for the 2026-27 income...

March 05, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:56): Thank you very much for the response from the government on this. Really, my question to the government is: did you consider options—because it isn't an unreasonable...

March 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (19:09): I rise to speak on the Superannuation (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Imposition Bill 2026 and the associated Treasury Laws Amendment (Building a Stronger and...

March 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:03): I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Commonwealth Entities Legislation Amendment Bill 2026. This legislation, I believe, is perfectly unobjectionable. It brings the statutory office holders...

March 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:19): I rise to speak on the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026. On 14 December, my community experienced a loss and trauma that will...

March 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:36): One of the initiatives I'm proudest to support in Wentworth, and am proud to have instigated, is our student led social cohesion roundtables. Building on roundtables we...

March 03, 2026

  Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:19): I rise to speak on the Royal Commissions Legislation Amendment (Protections for Providing Information) Bill 2026. On 14 December, my community experienced a loss and trauma that...

March 02, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:59): I was delighted on the weekend to march in the Mardi Gras parade, one of the highlights of my year. I acknowledge several outstanding Wentworth organisations that...

March 02, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:51): I rise to speak on the motion moved by the member for Solomon, and I thank him for bringing this issue to the attention of the chamber....

February 11, 2026

Ms SPENDER(Wentworth) (11:45): I welcome the opportunity to support to speak in support of this Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Bill 2025. I'm privileged to represent a large and deeply...

February 11, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:38): I rise to speak to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025. While I will not oppose this bill, I want to...

February 11, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:56): I rise today to speak on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2025. Australia's intelligence agencies, including the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, ASIO, play...

February 11, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (14:03): on indulgence—I'm regularly told by members of the public that the behaviour in this chamber is out of step with what modern Australia expects. People often tell...

February 10, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:58): I rise to speak in support of the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Bill 2026. I'm honoured to speak on...

February 10, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:30): I'd like to talk today about trust and how to build it, particularly trust in government. The ANU Australian Election Study recently found that only one in...

February 10, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:17): Australia is facing a national crisis in domestic and family violence. Intimate partner homicide rates are rising, not falling. In 2023-24, 46 women were killed by a...

February 10, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:32): We're here to talk about migration and integration. I'm going to focus mainly on integration because I think that is the urgent point in terms of the...

February 09, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:34): I support the amendment put forward by the member for Berowra in relation to the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025. I think the point...

February 09, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (11:48): I move: That this House: (1) notes that the: (a) Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to December 2025, up from a...

February 09, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:29): The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina have well and truly kicked off, and I'm incredibly proud to see several athletes from Wentworth competing for Australia on...

February 05, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:30): I'm in the House to talk about something a bit unusual, something I never thought I would be talking about in the House, which is one of...

February 04, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:01): I rise to support the Health Legislation Amendment (Prescribing of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2025. This bill amends the National Health Act 1953 and the Health Insurance Act...

February 04, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:22): I rise in support of the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025. Millions of Australians interact with digital assets in some form, as developers, as investors...

February 03, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:53): I second the motion and I rise to speak in support of it. I unequivocally condemn the horrendous attack against peaceful protesters marching in Boorloo/Perth on 26...

January 20, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:16): I rise today to speak in support of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026. These are modest changes in this bill,...

January 20, 2026

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:00): Bondi Beach was perfect that Sunday: hot, clear skies, cool waves and people excited for the coming holidays. Around the country, and especially in Wentworth, Jewish Australians...

November 27, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (09:28): I won't keep people from their families for very long. I just want to say that I think that this is a positive deal both for the...

November 25, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:00): I rise to speak briefly on the Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. While I support the bill in its efforts to provide some temporary relief...

November 25, 2025

  Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:02): Thank you very much to the minister for your engagement on these amendments and also throughout the time on this very important legislation, which I would...

November 25, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:06): Australia's one of the most successful multicultural nations, and Wentworth reflects this richness in every one of our schools. Our students come from more than 100...

November 06, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:27): I move the amendment as circulated in my name: (1) Page 13 (after line 24), after clause 20, insert: 20A Publication of reasons If a registrable decision...

November 05, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:52): Our environment is in crisis. Nature is one of Australia's most precious assets—internationally recognised, deeply loved, and a source of solace, wellbeing and joy for so many—but...

November 05, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:28): I also rise to support this amendment. Out of all of the bill, this is probably the most important part to change. I thank the member for...

November 04, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (21:10): Could you think of a more beautifully ironic way for the government to debate a bill that concerns one of the greatest transparency features in our democracy:...

November 04, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:43): I rise to speak to the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill in the consideration in detail stage. I was intending to move an amendment in relation to a...

November 03, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:09): I rise to speak on this important motion and echo serious concerns that I have and that my community has about the CFMEU and the corruption in...

November 03, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:24): I rise in support of the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025 and would like to inform the House that I'll also be moving an amendment to it....

November 03, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:05): I'd like to ask the minister about the case that I'm trying to make in relation to vulnerable Australians who go to the ART to be heard...

October 30, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:55): I rise in support of the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025, which will establish the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence. I think this...

October 30, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:14): I rise to speak on the Administrative Review Tribunal and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. The ART commenced operation in October 2024 in place of the Administrative...

October 29, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:32): I rise to support the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. I commend the government for its efforts to strengthen the regulation of international...

October 29, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:44): I move amendment (1) as circulated in my name: (1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 5), omit "Schedules 3 and 4", substitute "Schedules 3, 4 and...

October 28, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:00): Wentworth is home to many communities I care deeply about, including those working in film and television. From production companies and screenwriters to actors, crews and creators,...

October 28, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (17:14): I rise to speak in support of the Criminal Code Amendment (State Sponsors of Terrorism) Bill 2025. The purpose of this change is to grant the government...

October 27, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:58): I rise to speak on this important motion moved by the Member for Wright. Last week, the AustralianFinancial Review reported that, at the current rate, every state in this...

October 09, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (14:44): My question is for the Prime Minister. The royal commission into robodebt found that cabinet secrecy enabled the appalling abuse of power to continue for years, yet...

October 09, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:57): I rise in support of the Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025. This bill establishes the long-promised Australian Centre for Disease Control, a national body to...

October 08, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (11:11): I would like to question the government today about two critical areas of economic reform—principles for tax reform and fiscal rules. I believe these are interrelated and...

October 08, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:53): I rise to speak on Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025, which, on balance I believe introduces some broadly sensible measures. I...

October 07, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:09): The barbaric atrocities of 7 October 2023 are seared in our minds: around 1,200 dead, 251 hostages taken—48 of those still in Gaza—women raped, children murdered and...

September 03, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:25): I commend the member for Curtin for putting forward this really important MPI; for her advocacy in the previous parliament, and this parliament, on the need to...

September 03, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (12:56): The defence community is a hugely important part of my community of Wentworth. I'm honoured to host three major defence communities in Wentworth, including HMAS Watson, Victoria Barracks...

September 02, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (16:00): I want to take this opportunity today to congratulate some incredible sporting groups in my electorate of Wentworth. Firstly, the Easts Rugby Club's Beasties capped off their...

September 02, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:10): I second the amendment. I acknowledge that, in this parliament, our first priority must be to keep communities safe, and I recognise that the government is trying...

September 01, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:07): I'd also like to commend the member for Berowra for bringing forward this important motion, as well as support the words of the member for Macnamara. It...

September 01, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:54): I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) one in four women and one in 14 men have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the...

August 26, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (19:30): Tonight I want to put on the table an issue that is really important to Australian businesses, the Australian community and the Australian economy, and that is...

August 25, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (15:48): I rise to speak in support of the Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence) Bill 2025 and I do so...

July 30, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (18:47): I rise to speak on the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025. Penalty and overtime rates are a really important part of our...

July 30, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (09:30): I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the many volunteers in Wentworth who dedicate themselves to protecting our community and our precious coastal environment....

July 29, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (19:20): I rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025 that is in front of the parliament, and I rise...

July 23, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (10:29): I move an amendment to the motion: That standing order 91 be amended as follows: 91 Disorderly conduct    A Member's conduct shall be considered disorderly if the...

July 23, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:38): I want to take this opportunity to showcase the work of two wonderful organisations within Wentworth. Earlier this month I had the pleasure of meeting Rabbi Alon...

March 27, 2025

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:39): Next month, Wentworth will commemorate the first anniversary of the horrific attack at Bondi Junction Westfield, which claimed the lives of Ashlee Good, Dawn Singleton, Faraz Tahir,...

June 26, 2024

Ms SPENDER (Wentworth) (13:35): I want to put on the record my deep concern about the destructive and destabilising behaviour of the Iranian government and to call on the government to...