Newsletters 2024

As a community independent, I have always believed that my job is to listen to the people of North Sydney and to truly represent our community's opinions, concerns and ambitions — not my own, nor those of a political group.

As such, it is your views that have shaped my conversations and decisions in Parliament House this week. Thank you to all who have continued to share your thoughts and experiences with my team and I on issues ranging from costs of living to racism, domestic violence, and the situation in Gaza. I am grateful for your feedback and feel incredibly privileged to represent such a passionate and compassionate community.

The revised Stage 3 Tax Cuts passed the House of Representatives yesterday, with North Sydney's support. Ultimately, after a great deal of community consultation and research, my team and I found that a majority of North Sydney constituents — almost 7 in 10 of us across all age groups and income brackets — support the revised cuts.

Please know that our support wasn't given lightly, and I truly feel for those in our community who were counting on the promised cuts to cover costs, and are now left feeling blindsided and let down. As I stated in Parliament House yesterday, it would be unfair to have North Sydney stereotyped as those who "have", and who therefore can afford to pay more. In case you missed it, you can watch my speech on the cuts here.

In a similar vein, on Monday I argued for the expansion of the Staying Home, Leaving Violence program. This program has been proven to be effective in offering more stability and protection for victims of domestic violence and their children. However, it only operates in 91 of 128 local government areas in NSW — of which none are in Sydney's North Shore.

While there is a large unmet need for domestic violence services right across the country, support is particularly thin on the ground here in North Sydney. Our shelters have been operating at full capacity for years now. We are facing a domestic violence crisis and the Government can and must do more to respond.

Behind the scenes, I've spent much of the week in meetings, drawing Ministers' attention to our community's pre-Budget asks and advocating for a humanitarian ceasefire and more aid for those suffering in the Middle East.

On behalf of the 355 travel agents in our electorate, I've also questioned the Government's proposal to add a $10 fee to all flights travelling to or from an Australian airport, noting that it's not the dollar increase that we are concerned about, but the lack of transparency around why it is needed and what it is paying for.

I'm looking forward to being back in North Sydney and seeing everyone out and about in the electorate this weekend. Thank you as always for the privilege of representing our community.

- KT

EVENTS WITH KYLEA

WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK

IN THE NEWS

Statement to the community on ongoing conflict in the Middle East - 15 February. Kylea issued a statement outlining her and the community's concerns over the situation in Gaza, and what she has done so far to advocate for those in need.

North Sydney MP backs cost-of-living tax cuts, reflecting community feedback - Media release, 15 February. Kylea has released the findings of her community consultation, as well as polling by an independent research firm, which found a majority of the community in support of the revised Stage 3 tax cuts.

Two-year wait for parliament workplace enforcement body - The Guardian, 15 February. Kylea says poor behaviour in Parliament House is unlikely to change without the threat of real consequences. “There is still a gaping hole in the way that parliamentarians are called to account for their behaviour,” she says.

More media mentions here.