Patrick Gorman MP took to Reddit on Tuesday night to answer questions from the general public.
The Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister opened the discussion stating that the Australian Labor Party has been the greatest driver of progress in Australia over the last 122 years of Federation.
He added that the Albanese Government has achieved much in the last 10 months, and he was excited about what they can achieve by bringing Australians together.
Asked about the development of high speed interstate rail, Mr Gorman said it was the next logical step in public transport infrastructure. He said that Newcastle to Sydney was the first step, but that eventually it would span from Brisbane to Melbourne,
A participant called johnnox asked: “Will both Federal and State Labor look at further investment in rail infrastructure for both the Perth metropolitan area and regional Western Australia?”
Mr Gorman replied that there was a discussion underway to rebuilding Western Australia’s rail network, and that there was a long term vision to 2042.
On the Stage Three Tax Cuts, Mr Gorman said that “Labor voted for the package when it was introduced by the previous government, and that their position on it hadn’t changed. He added that there was opportunity when it comes to multinational tax avoidance.”
He also said “there are a range of structural challenges that the Treasurer has recently referred to in dealing with unfunded measures left by the former government.”
A participant called Easy Eevee asked whether labor would consider helping the trans community cover affirmation surgeries. Mr Gorman replied that “affirmation surgery refers to a broad range of procedures, some of them already part of the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
On the larger issue here of equity and access to healthcare for the trans community, he added that “before the election Labor promised consultation on the unique health issues and barriers to access that LGBTIQ+ Australians may face.”
He said they were “delivering on that promise, and earlier this month had announced a ten year National Action Plan including a $26 million investment in LGBTQIA health research.”
Another participant asked how federal and state Labor are collaborating to help grow value adding businesses within WA manufacturing or engineering services, specifically in the areas of solar PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal or green hydrogen power.
Mr Gorman replied that “Labor had consulted with all the states and territories on this big challenge of the energy transition. It is a huge opportunity for our country and our people.
“The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is the Government’s major investment mechanism – $10 billion into a range of technologies.
“Training is essential to grab these opportunities. Last month I was very excited to have the PM at East Perth TAFE where we announced $95.6 million over 9 years to support 10,000 New Energy Apprenticeships. This builds on a range of investments including 180,000 Fee-Free TAFE places.”
Asked what is the precise, specific danger that Australia will fall victim to if it doesn’t spend $400 billion on submarines, Mr Gorman replied: “It is about more than just one specific danger.
“We currently exist in a period of unprecedented strategic challenges in our region, and expanding our defence capabilities will help us not only assure our national security, but also strengthen regional stability.
“We know that as an island nation, Australia is perhaps uniquely reliant on ocean shipping routes, which make expanding our submarine capacity an important step to take.”
On the question of whether the $400 billion could be better spent on social services, Mr Gorman stated: “Over the Forward Estimates (that’s the next four years), we estimate $6 billion will be invested in Australian industry and workforce.
“We will invest at least $2 billion in South Australia infrastructure alone and at least $1 billion in infrastructure in Western Australia. This investment will create jobs for local workers – all kinds of tradespeople, engineers and other professionals.
“AUKUS will create around 20,000 direct jobs over the next 30 years across industry, the Australian Defence Force, and the Australian Public Service.”
A participant called espressor asked about policy or decision making that has been successful in reducing government spending or ongoing liabilities. Mr Gorman replied: “In simple terms: we can’t fix 10 years of poor budget management in 10 months.
“But we can start things heading in the correct direction. In the October 2022 budget we returned 99 per cent of revenue upgrades to the Budget over the next two years. What that means is where revenue was greater than expected it goes to reducing spending and therefore debt.
“We also removed a range of programs that were not delivering value for money to Australian taxpayers. You will see more of our plans in the May budget.”
For the full discussion, please visit the Reddit AMA at: https://old.reddit.com/r/AustralianPolitics/comments/124f41k/ama_patrick_gorman_assistant_minister_to_the/?sort=old
Craig Hill is a Brisbane-based Social Justice Campaigner, Writer, Teacher and Business Consultant. He has campaigned for social justice in Australia, promoted human rights in China and worked with the homeless in Honolulu. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Education and a degree in Management.
I am excited to announce that I intend to run as an independent candidate for Bonner at the 2025 federal election.
I know it’s a long way out, but I feel that I should start now, and put the years ahead into working out policies and strategies, and making sure I am ready for it.
Having spent 25 years campaigning for social justice, it is clear that governments formed from either of the major parties simply don’t listen to the community. The only way to get heard, it seems, is to get into parliament.
In particular, I will be learning from people on social media and in the community what the people of Bonner and the Australian public want from a representative in parliament.
My focus will still be on social justice, but there are many other areas where I have had work experience that I believe I can contribute to in parliament.
These include education, health, foreign affairs, the environment, climate change, the economy, taxation reform, social security reform, immigration, political accountabilty and sustainability, among many other things.
I don’t intend to be a candidate who runs on just one or two platforms. The work of a parliamentarian should benefit all people across Australia in all aspects of social and political life.
And of course, as a disabled person, I will still be fighting for a better deal for the aged, disabled and marginalised.
Any assistance you can give, whether financial, assisting with policies or campaigning, will be greatly appreciated.
I am excited to announce that I intend to run as an independent candidate for Bonner at the 2025 federal election.
I know it’s a long way out, but I feel that I should start now, and put the years ahead into working out policies and strategies, and making sure I am ready for it.
Having spent 25 years campaigning for social justice, it is clear that governments formed from either of the major parties simply don’t listen to the community. The only way to get heard, it seems, is to get into parliament.
In particular, I will be learning from people on social media and in the community what the people of Bonner and the Australian public want from a representative in parliament.
My focus will still be on social justice, but there are many other areas where I have had work experience that I believe I can contribute to in parliament.
These include education, health, foreign affairs, the environment, climate change, the economy, taxation reform, social security reform, immigration, political accountabilty and sustainability, among many other things.
I don’t intend to be a candidate who runs on just one or two platforms. The work of a parliamentarian should benefit all people across Australia in all aspects of social and political life.
And of course, as a disabled person, I will still be fighting for a better deal for the aged, disabled and marginalised.
Any assistance you can give, whether financial, assisting with policies or campaigning, will be greatly appreciated.
I am excited to announce that I intend to run as an independent candidate for Bonner at the 2025 federal election.
I know it’s a long way out, but I feel that I should start now, and put the years ahead into working out policies and strategies, and making sure I am ready for it.
Having spent 25 years campaigning for social justice, it is clear that governments formed from either of the major parties simply don’t listen to the community. The only way to get heard, it seems, is to get into parliament.
In particular, I will be learning from people on social media and in the community what the people of Bonner and the Australian public want from a representative in parliament.
My focus will still be on social justice, but there are many other areas where I have had work experience that I believe I can contribute to in parliament.
These include education, health, foreign affairs, the environment, climate change, the economy, taxation reform, social security reform, immigration, political accountabilty and sustainability, among many other things.
I don’t intend to be a candidate who runs on just one or two platforms. The work of a parliamentarian should benefit all people across Australia in all aspects of social and political life.
And of course, as a disabled person, I will still be fighting for a better deal for the aged, disabled and marginalised.
Any assistance you can give, whether financial, assisting with policies or campaigning, will be greatly appreciated.
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