Newsletters 2024

As expected, with the Albanese Government scrambling to get through its backlog of promises, these last few days of 2024 parliamentary sittings have been huge. We've seen backroom deals; draconian immigration laws; and bills rushed through parliament.

But that hasn't stopped North Sydney from Getting Stuff Done.

I've continued to speak publicly about the Government's controversial under-16 social media ban, which passed parliament this morning. I remain concerned that the blunt blanket ban is unenforceable, doesn’t do what it says on the tin and could do more harm than good. Instead, this week I urged parliament to consider a duty-of-care approach, which has been proposed by Goldstein's Zoe Daniel MP and has been used in the EU and UK, where companies are required to design and operate their platforms in a way that ensures people aren't harmed. This issue is too important for us to brush off with simple, ineffective news bites and I will continue to advocate for evidence-based solutions as this debate progresses.

On Wednesday, I stood with Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Deputy CEO Jana Favero and other human rights advocates to protest the rushed passage of three shocking migration bills that give the government unprecedented powers to strip those in immigration detention of their basic human rights and dignity, putting more than 80,000 people at risk of deportation from Australia. I think it's telling that — as ABC News reported — the Government has been largely silent on the bills while the Coalition has described them as "us setting the agenda". It increasingly seems the two major parties are on a unity ticket when it comes to immigration. We can and must do better.

In more positive news, the long-awaited genetic discrimination laws remain on the Government's agenda, as the Assistant Minister confirmed when I sought answers during Question Time this week. And I was able to strengthen the Future Made in Australia legislation on behalf of our community, working with the Government to explicitly rule out the use of offsets and ensure the scheme is not used to facilitate greenwashing.

The much-needed Build to Rent legislation passed the Senate. This legislation will play a critical part in addressing our housing affordability crisis, and I was pleased to be able to work with Housing Minister Clare O'Neil, industry groups, social services organisations, and my colleagues on the crossbench to get it across the line. As I said in Parliament House yesterday, this, to me, was the best of public policy development: when we lean in together to overcome our differences so that we can deliver better outcomes for all.

Finally — it was a pleasure to be able to amplify the voices of young North Sydney residents Nishika, Malek, Ivy, Naomi and Neela for the annual Raise Our Voice competition. Competition participants, all aged under 25, were asked to write a speech for me to read out in parliament about what they wanted our community to look like in the next 10 years. North Sydney's entries were exceptional, with students as young as 11 years old calling for our community to lead the transition to renewable energy; more environmental protections; investment in public spaces; and for politicians and the school system to play a greater role in combating systemic racism. I look forward to a time when I see one of those young leaders representing our community in Parliament House!

Thank you as always for your continued feedback and support. Given the events of the past two weeks, there's a lot to catch up on and I'd love it if you could join me on Zoom Monday, 9 December at 6pm for our final Parliamentary Update of the year. Register here!

- KT

WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY

VOLUNTEER GRANTS 2024-25

IN THE NEWS

Australia Has Barred Everyone Under 16 From Social Media. Will It Work? - New York Times, 29 November 2024. The New York Times covers Australia's new social media law, noting that how the restriction will be enforced online remains an open question. Kylea has said that law would stop short of holding social media companies accountable for the safety of the product they are providing. “They are not fixing the potholes; they are just telling our kids there won’t be any cars,” she is quoted as saying.

Independent raises alarm on social media ban - ABC RN, 29 November 2024. Despite growing ranks opposing the bill, a ban on social media for under 16s passed the Senate late on the final sitting day of the year. In a radio interview about the ban, Kylea warns that the Bill "doesn't do what it says on the tin".

Joint media conference on Build to Rent legislation - Media conference, 28 November 2024. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil has acknowledged the work of Kylea and others on the crossbench in working towards ways to address Australia's housing crisis. Kylea has described the Build to Rent legislation, which was developed and passed with the support of a broad coalition of parliamentarians, industry groups and social services organisations, as "a milestone in moving ourselves forward as a nation ... This is the best of public policy development: when we lean in together to overcome our differences, to ultimately put the solution at the front of what we're trying to achieve for Australians."

Labor and LNP strike deal on immigration detention - ABC News, 27 November 2024. Media coverage of a behind-the-scenes deal between the Government and Opposition over a suite of migration laws that would enable Australia to pay other countries to take immigration detainees with limited safeguards; block all visitors from countries that won't take back their citizens; and search detainees without a warrant and confiscate their mobile phones. Coalition immigration spokesperson Dan Tehan has described the legislation as "us setting the agenda", while Kylea has criticised the Government's decision to "kowtow to the opposition" ahead of the next election.

Labor’s legislation backlog leaves genetic discrimination ban stalled ($) - The Australian, 26 November 2024. The Labor Government will not legislate a ban on genetic discrimination by the end of the year, despite earlier commitments to do so. Kylea, who played a major role in advocating for the ban, has questioned the delay, to which the Government has responded that it plans to deliver the ban within this term.

Sky News panel on teal independents and electoral reform - Sky News, 26 November 2024. Kylea is interviewed about the upcoming federal election and the controversial new electoral funding reforms. "What our electorates have heard time and time again through this entire term of the Parliament is we don't matter to the Opposition, [which] has sent a very clear message that they're now not targeting those 'inner city woke seats'," she says. "There's 151 seats in the House of reps. And to be honest, I think all 151 are at risk of a strong community independent running because the major parties have continued on a trajectory which is seems to be completely disconnected with community sentiment."

'A dark day in our history': Refugee advocates warn Labor laws put thousands at risk - ABC News, 26 November 2024. Kylea says the Government's proposal to give the immigration minister sweeping new deportation powers worsens Australia's "egregious human rights abuse" of refugees. "As a nation, we've been in breach of international human rights law for nearly three decades now in the way that we treat people who seek asylum in our country… Labor had the opportunity to .show that we are better than where previous governments have chosen to take us, but they've taken the coward's route and decided to kowtow to the opposition."

Potential NSW blackouts due to heatwave - Sky News, 26 November 2024. NSW is bracing for electricity outages as a heatwave is forecast while three of the state's four ageing coal fired power stations are scheduled for maintenance. Kylea says the threat of blackouts has underscored the urgency at which Australia must transition to renewables and reliable storage technology, while Nationals Senator Matt Canavan says we need to build new coal-fired power stations as our existing plants break down.

Does Elon Musk have a point? - The Nightly, 26 November 2024. While nobody opposes efforts to safeguard young people on the internet, The Nightly reports that "a formidable crowd of academics, mental health, legal and children’s rights groups" — including Kylea — "are lining up to warn that a blunt ban is not the way the way to solve such a complex and nuanced problem."

Blackout warnings show urgent need to get off unreliable coal - Media Release, 26 November 2024. Kylea continues to call for urgent transition away from unreliable coal-fired power stations amidst blackout warnings for NSW this week.

Tink targets Labor for phone ban in detention - The Guardian, 25 November 2024. "Mobile phones are a lifeline for people in immigration detention helping them to communicate with family, friends and the outside world," Kylea says. "This is an attempt by Labor to silence a Peter Dutton scare campaign on immigration while silencing any criticism from detainees – preventing them from speaking to journalists, or advocates."

Labor’s appalling migration bill is a ‘race to the bottom’ with Peter Dutton - Media Release, 25 November 2024. Kylea says the government’s plan to ban mobile phones and introduce sniffer dogs in immigration facilities is 'a dangerous precedent' for human rights. She goes on to call out Labor's immigration policies as becoming a 'cut and paste' of Dutton's.

More media mentions here.