Mr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (09:35): We had a budget last night, and I am reminded of Maggie Thatcher’s famous words: The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money. It’s quite clear that this government has run out of other people’s money, otherwise why would we be having a $27 billion…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (17:00): I’m pleased that the chair of this committee has joined us in the chamber. He won’t like what I’m going to say, but I’m disappointed with the negativity and with the committee comments—that is, the majority of the committee, which was made up entirely of government members—in the interim report. It…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (17:59): In June 2024 the Mitchell Institute, based in Victoria, did a survey of child care around Australia. I’m not happy to report that my electorate of Grey was declared the biggest childcare desert in Australia. That’s not a title that I gladly received. It identified that, for every available space of…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (18:00): Renewable energy undoubtedly is a wonderful thing. In South Australia, we have led the nation in the establishment of renewable energy. In fact, there is 2,400 megawatts of installed capacity in South Australia. But there is a bit of a rider here. While we’ve got 2,400 megawatts of installed capacity, AEMO…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (10:38): I want to clarify a few things at the beginning of this contribution. TAFEs are state owned and operated. This is a very slippery slope that we get ourselves on in this federal parliament, where we see the failings of state governments and think that we better do something here in…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (16:25): Who would have thought that here in post World War II Australia—where the Jews came, following the Holocaust and the extermination of six million Jews in Hitler’s death camps, a well educated and by those days a modern and Christian nation—we would now see at least the beginnings of that behaviour…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (13:44): Today I want to talk about Charles Jackson OAM from Port Augusta. Charlie Jackson is the South Australian Senior Australian of the Year and an Adnyamathanha man. The Adnyamathanha are the rock people of the Flinders Ranges. Charlie’s worked all his life for the betterment of his people in a number…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (17:31): The motion is seconded. To the JDRF kids and the Kids in the House program, I’ve got to say, that in the 17 years I’ve been here, I think this is the most effective lobbying campaign we’ve seen. Congratulations JDRF and Mike Wilson on this program. All those blue shirts and…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (10:06): Between the dates of 27 October and 2 November, I was given the great privilege as co-chair of the friends of Morocco at the request of the Moroccan government to lead a delegation to Morocco. One of the reasons I am signed up to be a friend of Morocco is that…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (16:01): I am an optimistic person. I like to believe in the best of people. The MPI today is: After two and a half years, regional Australians are worse off under this Government. I have said many times that I don’t think members of the Labor Party come here to do harm,…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (17:02): on indulgence—I must say, coming fourth in the line after some very fine valedictories, I feel a bit like I’m the last speaker in the session after lunch and I’m stopping people from going to drinks! Seventeen years—you wouldn’t believe it would go so quickly, quite frankly. It’s more than a…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (13:33): Last Thursday, 14 November, was World Diabetes Day. This chamber will have heard many times that one of my honours in this place has been to be the co-chair of the parliamentary enemies of diabetes. Along with my good friend who’s not in the chamber at the moment, the member for…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (17:34): I rise to speak on the government’s Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024. George Orwell has had a bit of trot-out in this debate. I’m not surprised. He published Nineteen Eighty-Four 75 years ago, a novel about the control of people’s lives through surveillance, propaganda and thought control. The technologies…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (18:38): I also recognise what the member for Nicholls just put on the line there to share with Australia, and I thank him for it. Reforming the aged-care sector is necessary; it’s a fair call, and it is time for reform, with the Aged Care Bill 2024. We have co-operated with the…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (16:29): I rise to speak on the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) Bill 2024. It’s difficult to make any argument against better wages for childcare workers, and I certainly don’t intend to. This side of the House will be supporting these increases. But it is worth…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (10:12): Let me say from the outset that I strongly support the amendments put forward by the member for Fairfax at the beginning of this debate. It is no secret, of course, that I’m a supporter of nuclear energy. I think it is the right way forward for Australia. Not only do…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (19:08): I’ve been the member for Grey for 17 years—well, it will be 17 years in November. I have announced my retirement, so I won’t be coming back after the next election, whenever that might be. Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting— Mr RAMSEY: I appreciate your concern. Thank you, member for McEwen. I’ve worked…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (16:15): I have severe doubts about the last statement. I do defend the Labor Party in my electorate when people say to me, ‘Why do they hate us so much?’ I say, ‘I don’t think the Labor Party hates miners or farmers, but they think they can bear any amount of pain…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (18:31): I thank the member for Barker for bringing this motion forward. From the outset, I recognise Joan Hall in the chamber, as my colleagues have done. Welcome, Joan. I extend Teresa’s and my condolences to your family. As we’ve heard, Steele was born in Balaklava in 1928. He worked on the…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (09:36): Last night I had the great pleasure of attending the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award event in the Great Hall. There were 600 of us there, celebrating the best and finest of Australia’s young women entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. The award winner was Tanya Egerton. She’s from the Northern Territory and…
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