Speeches

BILLS Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026 Second Reading Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (17:07):   I rise to speak in opposition to the Private Health Insurance Amendment (Modernising the Private Health Insurance Rebate) Bill 2026. My electorate of Hinkler has the second-highest percentage of people aged over 65…

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Working Holiday Maker Program Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (16:42): The pause on visa applications for working holiday makers is hitting Hinkler hard. It’s hurting hospitality, it’s terrible for tourism, and it’s failing our farmers. We need a system which supports young people from overseas to fill labour shortages while travelling in…

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Parliamentary Friends of Cricket Housing Aged Care   Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (13:39): Last night, here in Parliament House, the Parliamentary Friends of Cricket came together to celebrate the great game of cricket, our recent successes and the tantalising summer ahead. It was great to catch up with Scotty Boland and…

BILLS Passenger Movement Charge Amendment Bill 2026 Second Reading Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (11:11): I rise to speak in opposition to the Passenger Movement Charge Amendment Bill 2026. Through this bill, Labor wants to legislate an increase to the passenger movement charge, otherwise known as Australia’s departure tax, so that anyone who leaves our…

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Mental Health Boyd, Mr Darius BUSHkids May, Mr Andrew   Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (10:08): Are you okay? That’s the No. 1 question to be asked today across Australia. Today is Suicide Prevention Day, a day of action encouraging all of us to have meaningful conversations. I was proud to be a…

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Aged Care Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (13:39):   What did older Australians do to deserve to be treated so badly by this Labor government? The electorate of Hinkler is serviced by the Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, and, at last count, 117 mostly elderly people remain stuck in our hospitals…

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Vietnam Veterans’ Day Hinkler Electorate: Acknowledgements Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (17:11) Today we commemorate Vietnam Veterans’ Day, and I’m forever proud to say that my electorate of Hinkler is home to many who served. They are the ones who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. To the Hinkler Vietnam veterans and…

MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Senior Australians   Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (15:43): I thank the member for Mallee for highlighting this matter as a priority. The fact is: this Labor government has failed, and is failing, our older Australians, and, with an $11 billion tax-grab on private health insurance, they’re putting our health system…

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Housing   Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Housing. The major four banks in Australia are all reporting declines in home loan applications of between 12 per cent and 20 per cent since Labor’s budget of broken promises. Will the minister finally admit Labor’s toxic…

COMMITTEES Law Enforcement Joint Committee Report Mr BATT (Hinkler—Deputy Nationals Whip) (16:15) Tabling Speech—Deputy Chair—Report tabling Capability of law enforcement to respond to money laundering and financial crime I rise as Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement to present the committee’s report for the inquiry into the capability of law enforcement to…