Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I'm really pleased to rise here today to say thank you to the people of Rockingham and Kwinana for re-electing me as the member for Brand in the recent election. The areas of Rockingham and Kwinana have been a vital part of the Western Australia economy for many years. The industrial zone in Kwinana drives the economy of Western Australia—ever since BP moved there in 1956, where my father was one of the first employees at the BP refinery.

My family have been in that district for a long time, since the fifties. I went to school there. I'm so pleased to be able to represent the schools, the people who go to the schools—the same schools that I went to. These include Safety Bay Primary School, Safety Bay Senior High School and Rockingham Beach Primary School. More widely than that, I know the member for Curtin in her first speech today mentioned the wonderful beaches of Cottesloe. I wouldn't want to accuse my sister-in-law of misleading the House, but it's fair to say that the beaches of Brand in Rockingham—say, Warnbro Beach, Safety Bay—are much nicer than the somewhat posher beaches of Cottesloe. Nonetheless, I have visited Cottesloe—of course I don't do that so often anymore, given I believe Shoalwater Bay beach is much better. But I'm sure there'll be a lot of toing and froing between Western Australian members as we continue to debate the best beaches of Western Australia. More importantly, can I thank all those in Rockingham and Kwinana who supported me in my election campaign—my branch members, my friends in the district and, of course, my family. Thank you very much for your support.

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