Richard Dowling

Latest speeches

1. Senate Chamber (part 2 of 3) · Australian Parliament · 16 September 2026

   • Senators’ statements: free speech, health, justice, cost‑of‑living

     “Acting Deputy President, well there's some very good news for the people of Risdon Vale just outside of Hobart on Tasmania's eastern shore. The Tasmanian government is opening a new GP clinic that will provide 20,000 fully bulk-billed appointments every…”

     Watch from 0:44

2. Senate Chamber (part 1 of 3) · Australian Parliament · 16 September 2026

   • Labor backbench and crossbench: regional access, graduate outcomes and governance

     “Thank you, Acting Deputy President. Well, I rise to support the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2024. And like a lot of legislation that comes to this place, there is a fair bit of machinery underneath that…”

     Watch from 2:08:08

3. Senate Chamber (part 1 of 2) · Australian Parliament · 15 September 2026

   • Take‑note debate: Housing affordability, negative equity and net zero

     “We hear a lot of bad terminology being thrown around right now and it's really not helpful to use the emotive language like mortgage prison, trapped.”

     Watch from 3:15:41

4. Senate Chamber (part 1 of 2) · Australian Parliament · 14 September 2026

   • Question Time: digital duty of care and online safety

     “Thank you President. My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Last week the Albanese Labor Government announced a world-leading step to protect young people from harm on social media platforms and give adults more choice…”

     Watch from 4:16:02

   • Question Time: digital duty of care and online safety

     “Minister, as you've outlined, the Albanese Labor Government's plan is all about giving back power and choice to adults over their own feeds, keeping illegal content off the internet and helping our children stay safe from psychosocial harms... Giving power…”

     Watch from 4:18:57

   • Question Time: digital duty of care and online safety

     “Minister, it's clear the Albanese Labor government's proposal to take steps that hold big tech accountable and keep our kids safe not only holds broad community support but is also something that many groups have been asking for. Could the…”

     Watch from 4:20:49

5. Senate Chamber (part 2 of 3) · Australian Parliament · 9 September 2026

   • Tasmania’s battery-electric ship and clean industry

     “Acting Deputy President, well Tasmania is less than 1% of Australia's landmass and home to barely 2% of its people. But our size has never set the limit on what we can build. A few weeks ago, the world's largest…”

     Watch from 0:57

   • First speech – New Tasmanian Greens senator on forests, housing and violence

     “Thank you, Acting Deputy President. Well, Senator Bragg's proposition today asks us to believe that Australia's housing crisis somehow began with the last Labor budget. The numbers tell a very different story. Since 1999, Australian house prices have risen by…”

     Watch from 3:44:01

6. Senate Chamber (part 1 of 2) · Australian Parliament · 7 September 2026

   • Coalition critique: Canavan on renewable CGT exemption and inquiry

     “Thank you, Acting Deputy President. Well, I rise to support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Accountability for Tax Practitioner Misconduct and Other Measures) Bill 2023.”

     Watch from 1:27:18

   • Government defence: Dowling on tax advisers, foreign CGT and mergers

     “And with a title like that, you could be forgiven for thinking this is going to be complicated. And it's fair to say Treasury has once again resisted the temptation for a short title. But the questions underneath it are…”

     Watch from 1:27:26

   • Senators’ 1:30 statements: Regional shows, financial literacy, Nepal climate impacts and social harms

     “Thank you, Acting Deputy President. Well, in the last sitting fortnight, I stood in a packed Mural Hall alongside more than 100 organizations and experts from across industry, education, consumer and community organizations, regulators and researchers to launch the Parliamentary…”

     Watch from 3:44:30