Ms BYRNES (Cunningham) (16:00): My second speech to the last parliament was about a wonderful local girl, Harper Rollinson, who gave her first speech in Parliament House three days after I gave my first speech to the parliament. Harper spoke about her cochlear ear implants. When I first met Harper she told me she wanted more love hearts and butterflies in the parliament, and I think about that often as I go about my day-to-day duties here in the parliament and also in the electorate. I have tried to focus on a positive and proactive approach to my duties, and acting out of kindness and empathy, particularly for the most vulnerable in our community. I thought about this again during the Governor-General's speech at the opening of the parliament, where she said:

We are also the product of generations of migrants who, coming here in search of a better life, have found a place of courage, kindness, and the fair go.

I am really pleased to have this opportunity today to talk about some of the amazing things that I have been fighting for in my community over the past three years to improve the lives of people in the Illawarra. During the last term of government, as a first-term MP, I was absolutely devoted to working as hard as I could to deliver real results for my community. My focus has been on seizing the opportunities of the future, preparing for the transition that we must have in our energy sector, and supporting local people with the rising cost of living. I have been so incredibly proud to be part of a government that has achieved so much positive change over three short years, both locally and nationally.

During my first term I have delivered nearly $1 billion of investment and cost-of-living relief to the electorate of Cunningham. We've delivered: a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer so that people can keep more of what they earn; energy bill relief for every household; cheaper childcare for local families; cheaper medicines; pay rises for some of our lowest-paid workers; and so much more. We have proudly delivered Medicare urgent care centres at Corrimal and at Dapto so that local people can get free urgent care when they need it the most—vital services taking pressure off Wollongong Hospital.

Aged care is another huge issue in my electorate, with bed block and access to high-needs aged-care beds a real issue. I worked hard with the minister for aged care during the last term to secure $17.4 million for new local aged-care beds and upgrades in Cunningham. I have also delivered $6.2 million for 35 new transition aged-care places for the Illawarra Shoalhaven local health district to help get vulnerable people out of our overburdened hospital. I would like to acknowledge the work of New South Wales Minister for Health and member for Keira, Ryan Park, for his dedication and support on this issue at a state government level. There is still a lot of work to do on aged care in the Illawarra. I have already reached out to the new Minister for Aged Care and Seniors to invite him to beautiful Wollongong to meet with our local aged-care taskforce and hear firsthand the challenges facing our aged-care sector. I very much look forward to this engagement in the near future.

It is well known that nationally we are suffering a housing and homelessness crisis, and the Illawarra is by no means exempt from the impact of this. Nationally we have developed the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund to build more social and affordable homes. I was delighted to see the Housing Trust receive support under round 1 of the Housing Australia Future Fund facility for three projects in the Wollongong LGA, with a combined value of $34 million. This will provide 45 dedicated long-term social and affordable rental homes. We have provided SAHSSI with $4.6 million to purchase, remodel and expand six dwellings in the Wollongong LGA for women and children who are experiencing family and domestic violence as well as older women who are at risk of homelessness. Our government also supported SAHSSI with 32 safe places, assisting up to 256 women and children experiencing family and domestic violence through the Safe Places program. We know there's much more to do, and we are absolutely committed to eliminating family and domestic violence in one generation. We have also delivered the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme, benefiting 680 local people, as well as increases to rent assistance. This is making a big difference in the lives of local people right now.

I can see so much opportunity for the Illawarra. With thriving industry a stone's throw from the Sydney CBD and a world-leading university calling our region home, we are ideally positioned to play a critical and important role in our energy transition.

Over many years, I have received a real in-depth understanding of the thriving local industrial innovation that is happening in my home town. Just recently, I attended the groundbreaking of a new world-class advanced materials production centre in Coniston. Gravitas Technologies has been backed by $1.5 million under the Albanese government's Industry Growth Program to build new state-of-the-art high-technology warehouses to sit alongside its existing facility. As CEO Sam Moricca said, 'This is more than just a building; it marks the arrival of another high-tech industry in Wollongong.' We're helping them innovate faster, bring their product to market faster and create new jobs for the future—a future made in Wollongong. And this is only one example. Our government has also invested in our local renewable hydrogen industry, with $15 million to Hysata, through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and nearly $30 million in grants from ARENA since Hysata's days as a startup out of the University of Wollongong, getting this technology off the ground.

All up during my first term, I worked incredibly hard to see over $180 million invested in local industry and innovation, including supporting the Port Kembla steelworks. We've provided $1 million for community batteries in Warrawong and Dapto and $5.4 million for the Electrify 2515 home-electrification pilot. Our government has also invested in the incredible work of the University of Wollongong, with more than $56 million in Australian Research Council grants, $10 million for the Energy Future Skills Centre to train our workforce of the future and over $1 million through ARENA for a harmonic study which will progress renewable energy grids. We've also invested over $42 million for additional Commonwealth supported places at the university to train more teachers, nurses, engineers and mathematicians. That's on top of fee-free TAFE and over $3 million for upgrades to 15 local schools.

Our Labor government believes in regional communities. We believe in investing in the infrastructure that regions need for our future, like $312 million for the Mount Ousley Road interchange, a long-overdue project that will revolutionise the gateway to Wollongong. This is merely a snapshot of the incredible support that the Albanese Labor government has given to the Illawarra during my short three years as member for Cunningham. It has been my absolute honour to represent this community through that time and to be part of some incredible future innovations that set us up on the world stage. But our work is only just beginning. We have huge plans for this term, starting with the very first piece of legislation of this parliament: cutting student debt by 20 per cent—a change that will benefit more than 22,800 people in Cunningham. With our local world-class university training the workforce of the future, this is simply huge.

From 1 July we have also supported our next generation of local teachers, nurses, midwives and social workers with paid prac during their training. Helping to address the shortages in these industries and removing the cost burden of getting this vital experience will make a huge difference. That's just the start when it comes to continued cost-of-living support under the second term of the Albanese government. Already the House has voted in support of our Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Penalty and Overtime Rates) Bill 2025 to protect penalty and overtime rates for millions of Australians. This important bill will enshrine penalty and overtime entitlements for around 2.6 million modern-award-reliant workers. Under Labor, inflation is falling, unemployment remains low, and real wages are rising again. We have created 1.1 million jobs and we're seeing interest rates coming down. This is because of the good economic management of our government. We've also gone a step further on cheaper medicines, with new legislation introduced to cap the cost of prescriptions under the PBS to no more than $25 from 1 July next year. This is great news for all Australians. Our early learning sector should be a safe place for our kids. Australians have been utterly devastated by the recent revelations showing a system in urgent need of reform. Our government has moved quickly to pass legislation, giving the Commonwealth stronger powers to protect children in early learning settings. Under the reforms the government will be able to suspend or remove funding from providers that fail to meet national safety standards, conduct unannounced inspections and prevent non-compliant services from expanding. We have also committed to decisive action to deliver a national approach to, and address systematic gaps in, working-with-children checks to improve the safety of children across Australia. This is vital work, and there's more to be done, but I am pleased to see that the government is wasting no time in addressing these shocking revelations.

There is certainly a lot more work to do to address some of the biggest challenges facing our community right now. I will keep working hard to deliver on my promises, like $10 million for the Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library in Warrawong; $5 million for the regional multicultural community centre; and $13.6 million for the St George Illawarra Dragons' Community and High Performance Centre. I will keep working to deliver improvements to local housing and homelessness services, aged care and health services. I will continue my push to have a clean energy future made right here in the Illawarra.

There are just a few more proud moments, and some butterflies, from my first term that I'd like to quickly touch on. During my first term I joined my good friend Lachlan Stevens, who's the vice-president of the Wollongong RSL sub-Branch and founder of Walk With Us Kokoda, and I walked the Kokoda Track. On day 2 of the track, you cross the same river 22 times, but we were also surrounded by beautiful blue butterflies that often perched on our shoulder, and again I thought of little Harper. You have a lot of time to think on the track, as you are climbing the mountains that never ever seem to end, and I thought a lot about all the things that still needed to be done. In fact, Lachlan, Marija Murray and I compiled a 'stuff we need to fix' list as we walked, which included things like processing veteran claims, the NDIS and aged care. These are the things that keep me up at night—all issues that need to be approached with kindness, fairness and empathy.

Another achievement of the Albanese Labor government during our first term was bringing home the remaining five men who had been incarcerated in Indonesia since 2005. I have worked with the Stephens family for over 20 years, mostly in my capacity as a staffer to my predecessor, the Hon. Sharon Bird MP. A beautiful and tight-knit family who have endured so much since their son, Martin, was arrested. I have spent so many hours with Martin's mum and dad, the amazing Bill and Michele Stephens, and helped them through their great pain throughout the 20 years that Martin was incarcerated. I was so very proud of our prime minister and foreign minister when, during our first term, they secured the release of these men due to the strong relationships that they had built with our friends in Indonesia—the closure of my longest ever constituent case and I think perhaps the longest in the parliament. Martin is working, he's doing charity work, he has a car, he's keeping fit, he's looking after his family and he's trying so very hard to be a good and constructive member of our community and I am so proud of what he has achieved since his release.

I was also delighted to finally meet Scott and his new partner and catch up again with his mum and dad, the strong and courageous Chris and Lee Rush. They are another family I have worked closely with for many years. I was very touched to receive a card and a beautiful letter of thanks from Scott and his partner- and again, butterflies made their way into my parliamentary term; this is the envelope for the card, adorned with butterflies. Like Martin, Scott is working hard on his future, and I can't wait to see what he achieves. I'm so very proud of him too. I would like to take a moment to thank President Prabowo Subianto for his kindness and compassion, which has led to the men returning home. I would also like to thank the team that I have worked many hours with to help bring the men home: Marshall Irwin, Sarah Bradley, Stephen Keim, Julian McMahon, Peter Strain and Erskine Rodan; and hundreds of public servants who worked on ensuring the health and safety of the boys while incarcerated and who also helped to bring them home. I would also like to extend my sincere condolences to the families of the men who did not make it home.

My latest butterfly interaction was recently with Gloria Holloway from the Country Women's Association in Stanwell Park. What a dynamo she is! When I met Gloria, she was a little bit miffed at being overtaken as the oldest member of the CWA—she's 91—by a new member who's 92. She had on the most beautiful butterfly necklace. She is a passionate advocate for the women involved in the CWA and the Stanwell Park local community.

And let's not forget the love hearts—another reminder of Harper following me around—like this beautiful piece of pottery made by Daniella Lagazio, proudly displayed at the Greenacres Outsider art exhibition recently. This will now be displayed on my wall of local art in my Parliament House office. There've been love hearts and butterflies everywhere. There are so many people doing amazing work, far too many to mention here but I am so very privileged to be able to work with, and visit, so many people and organisations doing amazing things in my local community.

So to Harper: I have been so privileged to have encountered so many butterflies and love hearts during my first term. Thank you for putting them out to the universe for me to find—small pieces of joy in my day and special reminders of why we are here. I am so grateful to the people of the Cunningham electorate, who have once again put their faith in me to represent them in this place. I take that responsibility and privilege very seriously, and I am looking forward to three more years of hard work delivering for my community.