with Susan Templeman MP

The Hawkesbury’ s Men’ s Sheds have a key role in helping men and boys find mateship and social support and the Albanese Government is backing them, if re-elected, as part of a $ 20 million funding boost for men’ s mental health.

The investment is for grassroots initiatives that support men’ s mental health and wellbeing in community settings, including supporting another two years of Men’ s Shed Initiative’ s National Shed Development Program, providing grants of up to $ 10,000 to individual Men’ s Sheds. It will also support the Australian Men’ s Sheds Association to deliver new health promotion and prevention programs.

The Men’ s Shed Association says the additional funding will go a long way in

enabling them to continue servicing the highly successful Men’ s Shed movement, as well as implement new health promotion and preventative programs.

I’ ve been committed to tackling the issues that impact men’ s health, especially men’ s mental health, in my time in Parliament. Whether it’ s at men’ s sheds, walking groups or as part of community volunteering, we need more conversations about men’ s health and good access to services.

So I am very pleased that a re-elected Albanese Labor Government will also provide an additional $ 11 million to Movember to support men’ s health and break the stigma around seeking support.

When I’ ve met with the men’ s health experts from Movember, they’ ve told me that the statistics show as many as two

in every three men are skipping health support due to gender stereotypes – and around half believe avoiding health checkups is normal.

Australian men are three times more likely to take their own life than women and are significantly less likely to seek mental health support.

Labor will deliver funds to Movember to provide men’ s healthcare training to primary healthcare workers, and to develop a campaign to encourage men to visit the doctor. As Movember says, this investment into primary care will help to equip GPs and clinicians with the tools to better engage and support men and boys with their healthcare needs, so they don’ t slip through the cracks.

Among the other initiatives is the $ 3 million to support the delivery of Plus

Paternal Initiative, a program that helps men prepare for fatherhood and supports the development of good parenting skills during the perinatal period.

This extra spending on men’ s health and builds on programs we invested in in last year’ s Budget, plus our investment to strengthen Medicare with more bulk billing, more Urgent Care Clinics( including in the Hawkesbury), more doctors and nurses, and delivering cheaper medicines, cutting the maximum price of PBS scripts to only $ 25.

I will continue to advocate for improved physical and mental health services across the Hawkesbury. Our health system that Labor first created and then secured is the envy of the world, and we’ ll continue to strengthen is so that your Medicare card is the only card you need.

with Robyn Preston MP

On ANZAC Day, thousands gathered in silence to honour the courage and sacrifice of our service men and women, who afforded us the freedoms we have today.

I will be introducing the Summary Offences Amendment( War Memorials and Other Protected Places) Bill 2025 on behalf of the Opposition. This will be the second attempt to pass legislation which will see stronger penalties for offences of vandalism and desecration against our war memorials.

I previously put forward a similar Bill in 2024 which was rejected when Labor sided with the Greens and some

Independents- a move veterans and families across NSW found deeply disappointing.

Our war memorials are a promise to always honour the sacrifice, service and mateship of our veterans and Defence personnel. When someone vandalises these memorials, they are disrespecting the memory of every person whose name is engraved in stone. We owe it to our veterans to ensure these criminals pay the price.

Right now, the maximum summary fine( without an expensive trial, typically before a jury) for damaging a war memorial is just $ 4,400. Offensive or indecent behaviour near a memorial attracts just a maximum $ 2,200 penalty.

Courts can allow offenders to do community service instead of paying the prescribed penalties.

Under the Opposition’ s Bill the maximum summary penalty for damaging a war memorial will increase to $ 22,000 or two years imprisonment, or both. The maximum penalty for offensive or indecent conduct near a memorial will also rise to $ 22,000.

The fine imposed will then be re-directed to the restoration of the vandalised war memorial, unless there are special circumstances, so that custodians like local councils, RSL sub-branches and not-for-profit organisations don’ t have to foot the bill.

The option for a community service

penalty will be removed. You don’ t honour our Diggers with dawn services and then turn a blind eye when their memorials are defaced.

The penalties proposed by this Bill emulate those recently passed in relation to impeding places of worship. Why should desecrating a war memorial be any less significant than the sanctity we show for places of worship?

This is Bill is important – it is about respect. Our war memorials are built by communities, cared for by volunteers and cherished for generations. If you desecrate a war memorial, you should be appropriately charged with a heavy penalty. No excuses. Lest we forget.