At a Glance

First Term Wins

Suburb-wide electrification accelerator for every state and territory

Energy bills are one of the biggest pressures facing households right now and one of the best solutions also delivers climate action: household electrification.

When I was developing my 2022 election platform, Canberrans made it clear: electrification had to be front and centre. I listened, and then got to work. Working with experts like Saul Griffith and researchers at the ANU, I developed a bold plan for electrification accelerators: suburb-wide initiatives to help households switch to solar, batteries, and efficient electric appliances with government-backed support.

After relentless advocacy and strong support from the community, we got the breakthrough. On 28 January 2025, Minister Chris Bowen announced that electrification accelerators will be rolled out in the ACT and across Australia.

This is a major win for:

• Lower energy bills for families
• Cleaner air and better health outcomes
• Cutting climate pollution at scale
  
  

Electrification is a permanent cost of living relief. It’s good policy and it’s happening because a community stood up and demanded better. I’ll keep working to make sure every household, in every postcode, gets the chance to plug into the future.

Delivering Zero-Interest Loans to ACT households for clean, cheap energy

In the middle of a national debate on energy price caps, I made sure the outcome wasn’t just about temporary relief, but delivered lasting change for ACT households.

As part of the negotiations, I secured an additional $7.5 million in federal funding for the Sustainable Household Scheme, which is a proven ACT program that helps families take control of their energy costs.

The scheme allows eligible homeowners to:

• Borrow up to $15,000 for solar panels, batteries, and efficient electric appliances
• Pay nothing upfront with zero interest and no fees
• Start saving from day one on power bills
  

This is exactly the kind of policy I fight for: practical, targeted, and transformative. It tackles the cost of living crisis at its root by helping people electrify their homes, cut pollution, and lower bills permanently.

Reforming indexation of student debt

Rising HECS-HELP debts have been piling pressure on students and graduates, especially when indexation outpaces wage growth.

Alongside crossbench colleagues, I pushed the Government to fix it. And we had a big win.

We secured a reform that caps HECS indexation to the lower of CPI (inflation) or WPI (wage growth). That means student debt will no longer grow faster than people’s ability to pay it back and the government also agreed to backdate the change to 1 June 2023.

This is a real cost of living win for students and young people and a long-overdue step toward a fairer, more affordable education system. 

But there’s more to do, we also need government to fix the timing of indexation so students aren’t paying interest on money already repaid and reform the failed Job Ready Graduates Scheme. While Labor’s promise to cut  20% of all student debt is welcome, it doesn’t address the root cause.

I’ll keep fighting to make sure our higher education system lifts people up, instead of holding them back with runaway student debt.

Introduction of Paid Prac

Together with the crossbench, I pushed for our teachers and future health and social workers to be paid for the thousands of hours they spend during their degrees undertaking placements.

We cannot expect our future health workers to pay the bills, while they are forbidden from working while undertaking placements. It has been burning out the next generation of the professionals that we sorely need. In response to our advocacy, the Government announced it would establish a Paid Placement scheme for nurses, midwives, teachers and social workers. This is a great first step, but it now needs to be expanded to include medical students and allied health workers and increase the rate of payment.

Increases in Jobseeker and Commonwealth Rent Assistance 

Income support should lift people out of poverty. That’s why I fought to bring evidence and fairness back into the way we set the level of income support payments.

As part of negotiations with the Government, I secured the creation of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. The committee is a new, independent body tasked with providing transparent, expert advice on income support payments.

And it’s already having an impact. Thanks to the Committee’s advice alongside sustained advocacy, the Government has:

• Delivered modest increase to JobSeeker
• Delivered two increases to Commonwealth Rent Assistance
  

It’s not enough and I’ll keep pushing the Government to raise the rate to a level people can actually live on. But the establishment of the Committee is a significant structural win. It puts evidence, not politics, at the heart of how we support people doing it tough.

This is how we build a more decent, more humane safety net. One step at a time, and backed by the facts.

Preventing predatory lending at Christmas 

In 2022, I pushed hard to get one critical thing done before the year ended: protecting vulnerable Australians from payday lenders.

Ahead of the Christmas holidays, I knew predatory lenders would be targeting people under pressure with small loans that come with exploitative interest rates as high as 900%. That’s why I fought to get the Financial Sector Reform Bill passed before the Senate broke for Christmas. And I succeeded.

This reform:

• Tightened lending laws to stop payday lenders from preying on people in financial distress
• Provided greater protections for low-income Australians
• Responded directly to the concerns of consumer advocates, financial counsellors and legal experts
  

If we hadn’t passed this Bill in time, countless families could have been trapped in debt over the holidays. This win was about urgency, compassion, and doing what’s right. I’ll always stand up against predatory business models that exploit people when they’re most vulnerable and fight for a fairer financial system.

Superannuation disallowance for more transparency

I took a stand against a quiet move by the Government to reduce financial transparency in the superannuation system and I brought the fight to the Senate. The Government had introduced regulations that would weaken disclosure rules for super funds, specifically removing the requirement to give members itemised information on non-political donations.

I wasn’t going to let that slide. I tabled a disallowance motion to block the change, because if super funds are spending Australians’ retirement savings, they should be upfront about where that money is going.

Superannuation is one of the biggest financial assets most Australians will ever have. People deserve to know:

• How their money is being spent
• Whether it aligns with their values
• That there’s accountability at every level of the system
  

I believe in a fair, open and transparent financial system and I’ll keep fighting any attempt to weaken the public’s right to know. You can read more on this here. 

Improvements to the cheaper childcare legislation

I fought to make the Government’s cheaper childcare legislation about fairness, quality, and long-term impact.

In 2022, I won changes to expand discounts offered on fees to the children of educators working in childcare centres to cooks. Originally only available to educators, the reforms I negotiated extended discounts to include administrators, cooks and other vital workers who keep centres running.This is about recognising the whole team behind early education, and making childcare more accessible for the people who deliver it.

I also secured key amendments that make sure future changes to childcare wages are based on more than just cost. Thanks to these reforms, the Productivity Commission must now consider:

• Education outcomes for children
• Access for disadvantaged families
• Activity test impacts on parents
• And the needs of the early childhood workforce
  

Childcare isn’t just a cost centre, it’s nation-building infrastructure that shapes lives and futures.

I’ll always fight for policy that values care work, improves equity, and puts children’s outcomes at the centre. You can view a speech I gave on this legislation here. 

Ensuring subcontractors get paid for the work they do

It’s a simple principle: if you do the work, you should get paid.

That’s why I pushed for action to address a huge issue: subcontractors not getting paid when big builders go bust.

Bigger contractors often prop up their cash flow with money owed to subbies, and when the company collapses, it’s tradies and small operators left out of pocket.

In 2022, I secured a commitment from the Prime Minister to establish a tripartite National Construction Industry Forum and respond to the 2019 Murray Review into security of payments, a comprehensive report commissioned by the former Coalition Government, that had been sitting on a shelf for far too long. With construction sector insolvencies hitting record highs, we needed action, not more delay.

I have spoken up consistently on this issue throughout the term and  in March 2025, the Government followed through, responding to the Murray Review and releasing a draft blueprint for reforming the construction industry. .

But the job is not done.

One of Murray’s key recommendations: statutory trusts to protect payments owed to subcontractors wasn’t adopted by the government. I’ll keep fighting to get it done. Because doing the work should mean getting paid, on time, every time.

What I’m Fighting For

Increased competition in key industries such as supermarkets, airlines and banks

Australia has a competition problem. In too many sectors, a small number of big players dominate, driving up prices, driving down service, and squeezing consumers and small businesses.This lack of competition isn’t just bad for consumers, it’s a drag on productivity, a brake on innovation, and a key driver of rising inequality.

In late 2024, I successfully pushed the Government to bring forward the mandatory Food and Grocery Code, helping to rein in supermarket power and better protect Australians from record-high food prices.

But this is only the beginning. We need deeper structural reform to:

• Encourage new market entrants and fairer competition
• Reduce monopoly and oligopoly pricing power
• Deliver lower prices and better service for Australian consumers
• And build an economy that rewards value, not just market dominance
  

I’ll keep fighting to fix the rules of the game to make sure that markets work for people and deliver results for Australians.

Housing reform

Increased rents and mortgage repayments are substantial causes of the cost-of-living crisis. You can read about my continued advocacy for tax reform, a housing and homeless plan and other measures on the housing policy page.

Powering homes, cutting bills: Delivering a National Electrification Plan

Household electrification should be at the heart of Australia’s energy future. It slashes energy bills, reduces emissions, improves health, and creates jobs.

I’m calling for a nationwide electrification strategy that backs ambition with action, including:

• Electrifying 5 million homes by 2035
• $5 billion in immediate investment, and $50 billion over the next decade
• Financial incentives (targeted based on need) like rebates and low-interest loans to cut upfront costs
  

We must ensure that renters, apartment dwellers, and low-income households are not left behind. That means tailored policies, rental standards, and targeted support so electrification is equally available to all Australians.

This plan also includes:

• Building a skilled workforce and local supply chains
• Reforming energy market rules to prioritise consumers and clean energy
  

Electrifying homes is one of the fastest, fairest ways to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis at once. Let’s get it done and let’s make sure it’s done for everyone.

More effective regulation of the insurance industry to reduce the costs to consumers

Insurance costs are spiralling, with premium increases of up to 17% per annum for health, home, contents, and business cover in recent years. Meanwhile, insurance companies are posting record profits. That’s not an efficient market, it’s price gouging.

Consumers deserve better. I’m calling for stronger regulatory powers to investigate and penalise unfair pricing, require greater transparency, and ensure regular market reviews of insurance practices.

We also need to confront the root causes. Climate change and extreme weather events are a major driver of rising insurance costs and we can’t afford to keep building in harm’s way.

National Cabinet has rightly committed to ending development on flood plains. The Federal Government must back this up by:

• Requiring climate risk and resilience planning in all federally funded housing developments
• Withholding funding from developments in areas prone to floods, fires, or other extreme events
  

We need long-term thinking, not short-term fixes. That means climate-smart planning and a fairer insurance system that ensures safety and security in a changing climate.

Fairer changes to student debt indexation 

Once you reach a certain income threshold, compulsory student debt repayments kick in. Right now, indexation is applied to those HECS-HELP debts before compulsory repayments are applied. That means graduates are being charged indexation on money they’ve already paid back. This is an unfair system that would never be accepted from a commercial bank.

This timing is costing graduates dearly each year and adding unnecessary pressure during a cost-of-living crisis. I’m calling for urgent reform to fix this broken system and make student debt fairer.

If re-elected, I’ll keep fighting to:

• End indexation on amounts of HECS-HELP debt already repaid
• Fix repayment rules to make them fairer and more transparent

Let’s build a higher education system that works for students, not against them.

Reforming the failed Job Ready Graduates scheme

A year-long review into Australia’s Higher Education sector, called the Universities Accord, concluded that the Coalition’s Job Ready Graduates scheme was a failure and it's still hurting students today.

The policy doubled the cost of some university degrees, saddling students with a lifetime of debt based on the false idea that pricing would shape course choices. But the evidence is clear: cost doesn’t change what students choose to study; it just makes it harder for them to finish.

Students studying humanities, arts, and social sciences (which are all vital to Australia’s future) have been unfairly punished by this approach. This scheme has increased debt, reduced equity, and done nothing to improve workforce planning.

I will continue to push the Government to:

• Reverse the worst impacts of Job Ready Graduates
• Restore fairness to course funding and student contribution levels
• Build a higher education system that supports students, not burdens them
  

It’s time to fix this broken policy and build a university system that works for all Australians.

Powering the e-bike revolution - clean, cheap and for everyone

E-bikes are one of the smartest, fastest, and fairest ways to cut emissions, reduce congestion, and transform how we move. They’re better for the climate. Better for our health. Cheaper to run. And they make our cities and communities more liveable for everyone.

The arguments for e-bikes are clear:

• Zero emissions - e-bikes are clean, quiet, and efficient.
• Reduce congestion - e-bikes are ideal for short trips and commutes, they ease pressure on crowded roads.
• Improve health - riders get active, often travelling longer and more often than on traditional bikes.
• Support equity - e-bikes give older Australians, people with mobility challenges, and low-income families new freedom and flexibility.
• Cheaper - no fuel, no rego, no parking fees.

I’m calling for a national suite of policies to supercharge the uptake of e-bikes especially for people who need affordable, flexible, and low-emission transport options. This includes:

1. Extend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) Exemptions to E-Bikes
   In 2022, I helped deliver an FBT exemption for electric vehicles,  putting tens of thousands of EVs on Australian roads. It’s time to extend that same benefit to e-bikes. A salary sacrifice e-bike scheme would unlock access to cleaner transport for thousands of workers.
   
   
2. Targeted Subsidies and Rebates
   E-bikes have to be affordable for everyone. I want to see means-tested subsidies to help low-income households access high-quality e-bikes and take advantage of their ongoing savings.
   
   
3. Investment in Active Travel Infrastructure
   In 2023, I secured a $100 million investment for active travel nationally, but much more is needed to deliver segregated bike lanes, secure parking, and proper planning to make e-bike use safe, convenient, and widespread.

Expanding paid placements & increasing the rate

Placement poverty is a phenomenon impacting too many students in critical fields of study. It was called out as an area for urgent reform in the final report of the year-long review into higher education called the Universities Accord.

It recommended: “That to reduce the financial hardship and placement poverty caused by mandatory unpaid placements, the Australian Government work with tertiary education providers, state and territory governments, industry, business and unions to introduce financial support for unpaid work placements. This should include funding by governments for the nursing, care and teaching professions, and funding by employers generally (public and private) for other fields.”

The introduction of  paid placements for nursing, midwifery, social work, and teaching students was a long-overdue step in the right direction. But it didn’t go far enough. The rate of paid placements is too low and the field of professions too narrow.

Thousands of students in critical fields, including medicine, psychology, physiotherapy, veterinary science, occupational therapy, and other allied health professions are still being forced to complete hundreds of unpaid placement hours, often while living in poverty.

These are students training for jobs we urgently need, yet the system punishes them financially for choosing to serve their communities. I will continue to push for the expansion of paid placement support to include all essential disciplines and to increase the payment to a liveable rate, so no student has to choose between finishing their qualification and keeping a roof over their head.

This is about fairness, workforce planning, and ensuring Australia can train and retain the professionals our healthcare and community systems rely on. You can watch a speech I gave calling for an expansion of paid prac here.

Standing up for subbies to get security of payments

Across the ACT and around the country, too many subcontractors and tradies have been left out of pocket when they are not for work they’ve already done when construction companies go bust.

I negotiated a deal with the Government to take action and respond to the Murray Review, which recommended the best way to deal with this growing crisis. The goal was simple: make sure workers get paid for the work they’ve done.

Getting this commitment was a win for tradies and small business owners who’ve been burned too many times by a broken system. And I’ll keep pushing until security of payment is guaranteed through a statutory trust. You can read more here. 

Improved legislation to protect Australians against scams

Australians are losing $2.7 billion a year to scams and many victims are left to fight tooth and nail just to recover their losses.

In 2023, the Government introduced legislation to crack down on scams, placing tougher obligations on banks, telcos, and tech companies. That’s a step forward, but it didn’t go far enough. I participated in the senate inquiry and pushed for a range of amendments that would have strengthened the Scam Protection Framework.

I share the concerns of consumer advocates who say the legislation fails to guarantee fair and timely reimbursement for victims. Australians are being left in limbo, stuck in lengthy disputes while companies dodge responsibility.

If re-elected, I’ll push to strengthen scam laws by:

• Introducing a clear reimbursement model, so victims aren’t left out of pocket
• Holding platforms and financial institutions to account for weak protections
• Ensuring faster resolution and support for scam victims
  

We need a system that puts people first. Penalties after the fact are not good enough.