John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your elevation to high office. I also congratulate the deputy speakers—the member for Chisholm and the member for Maranoa—and I wish you all the best for the 42nd Parliament. I think the House has made a great choice in making you the Speaker. On this historic day, I sincerely thank the electors of Lowe for their vote of confidence in electing me to the 42nd Parliament. I am honoured and privileged. I will continue to work hard for my constituents’ interests to the best of my ability. I thank my wife, Adriana, my local ALP branch members, my staff and my supporters for their very hard work during the campaign and their ongoing hard work and encouragement. Without their hard work and support, I know that I would not be standing in this place tonight.

Our Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, and our Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Julia Gillard, have been elected with a mandate to bring to this 42nd Parliament an exciting agenda for change. I congratulate both of them tonight for their relentless campaigning and outstanding leadership since the election, which offers so much hope for our nation and the opportunity to achieve so much for our great country. As I reflect on the past 10 weeks that have elapsed since the Rudd government assumed office, it is astonishing to note how many things have taken place of which I am proud. Today, on this momentous occasion, the Prime Minister delivered, in this place, on his promise to deliver to the stolen generation and our Indigenous Australians. What a momentous occasion it was! How proud of our Prime Minister Australia feels tonight! I look forward to speaking on the Prime Minister’s motion soon.

Further, since the election the Prime Minister delivered on his promise and ratified the Kyoto protocol at the climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia. I am very proud of that. The Prime Minister has also travelled to Iraq and Afghanistan to support the brave members of our Defence Force. How proud I am of that. The Prime Minister has practised cooperative federalism, successfully conducting early in January the first of what will be many COAG meetings. I well remember the day Kevin Rudd was elected Leader of the Opposition in December 2006. One of the first things he spoke about was his determination to promote cooperative federalism. How proud I am of him in relation to that.

This week the Prime Minister has also shown great leadership and support for our neighbours and friends in times of trouble following the failed assassination attempts on the political leaders of East Timor—President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

At a local level the Prime Minister, like me, has expressed his anger with the former government for the concealment of its plans, prior to the federal election, to close the east-west runway at Sydney airport. Just three days after the federal election, Sydney airport foreshadowed the closure later this year of the east-west runway. My constituents well know the implications for increased noise of the closure of the east-west runway. Sydney airport was obliged to inform the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government well in advance of these works, yet we did not hear a peep from the former minister before the election. That is an absolute bloody disgrace!

Safety is always paramount at our airports; however, consultation is imperative. The constituents of Lowe deserve much better, with honest communication about the proposed developments of Sydney airport now that it has been privatised by the Howard government. I commend the action of both the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon. Anthony Albanese, the member for Grayndler—who, like me, well knows Sydney airport—and the Prime Minister, who already have ordered an independent engineers’ report on the project and have suggested that a report on environmental impacts be sought. The newly reconstituted Sydney Airport Community Forum meets on Friday and I look forward to standing up for my electorate and prosecuting, through that forum, the many issues that relate to the airport. Despite the efforts of the former government to leave remnants of their negative, exclusive attitude to consultation, the election of a Rudd Labor government strengthens my resolve to deal with each challenge in the 42nd Parliament—(Time expired)

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