Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, weathered—weathered by those dawn railway station visits at Seaford, where you get a natural exfoliation as the rain comes in sideways! Ironically, the Labor Party went around as if it were their turn—as if it were, 'Well, he's been there for a while. How about our turn?' It was quite ironic that the campaign slogan that Labor ran under was: 'Time for a fresh face.' The response from so many people was: 'What's wrong with this face?' It was not about my face; it was not about my appearance. This election was about our plans for the future; our vigorous advocacy; a belief in the community and in me—that when representation is required or when leadership would be of benefit, I will be there with them. That is what the election was about. It was quite ironic that, in facing the seventh campaign that I have faced in Dunkley, there was no other local plan. There was no criticism of my advocacy, no suggestion that my representation had been poor, and no contest or challenge to the proposals that I was putting forward in an invitation to the electorate of 'Come join me in implementing this plan to pursue the destiny of opportunity that we see for our community.' There was none of that; just something about my face. I might not be the prettiest person in this place, but the passion, positivity and belief that you need to persevere in your work will drive me, not the extent to which Nivea might have been useful on my face many years ago.

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