Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Assistant Minister for Children and Families) Share this | Hansard source

Almost six years ago, in December 2013, I had the immense honour of standing up to deliver my maiden speech to federal parliament as the newly elected member for Capricornia. It was a profound moment in my life and also signified a major change for the communities in my electorate. Our region was for many years a Labor Party stronghold, with no conservative representative holding the seat for more than a single term since the late 1950s. It is an amazing privilege to be able to return to the parliament and rise in the new 46th Parliament of Australia, having once again been elected, for a third term, as the region's federal representative.

As I reflect on the recent election campaign, and the hard work and determination by all those committed volunteers, friends, family and staff who supported me, I am eternally grateful. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to my family, Jessica, Tim and Kirstin; my parents, Bill and Gloria Martin; our incredible LNP supporters and volunteers; and all our dedicated booth workers, including my campaign manager, Matthew Solley; treasurer, John Rodgers; and secretary, Julie Murphy. Of course, I also thank my dedicated staff: Douglas Rodgers, Louise Busby, Rebeckah Auld, Alana Cook, Christina McNeill, Jack McDougall, Dana Andersen, Kylie Jackson, Nicole Neale, Christopher Lawson, Victoria Mencshelyi, Anna Howard, Doug Wyllie and Lucy Busby. My wonderful staff work tirelessly year after year. Their commitment to our constituents is very caring and very professional. I also give a huge thankyou to all of those who financially contributed to my campaign and helped out in any way that they could.

I thank my federal parliamentary colleagues and federal cabinet ministers—Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Member for Maranoa David Littleproud, Member for Dawson George Christensen and Senator Bridget McKenzie—for their unwavering support, and I give a special thankyou to Senator Matthew Canavan and his team for their unwavering friendship and support. I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to the 'quiet Australians' who voted for me: the small-business owners, the mums and dads, the coalminers, the retirees—people who were genuinely worried about a future under Labor.

It was such an honour to serve as the Assistant Minister for Children and Families in the 45th Parliament of Australia, so I'm thrilled to be continuing in that role during this term of government.

Since becoming Capricornia's federal MP, I have worked tirelessly to secure major investment in real job-creating infrastructure. We have committed federal funding for the Rockhampton Ring Road, Walkerston Bypass, Mackay Ring Road, numerous community projects and, of course, Rookwood Weir, a project that took years of campaigning to make it a reality. Water is a priority in Central Queensland. Projects like Rookwood Weir, near Rockhampton, must go ahead to create long-term jobs. It is estimated that Rookwood Weir will deliver between 200 and 400 jobs through the two years of construction, while delivering an agricultural boom worth $1 billion per annum and over 2,000 permanent jobs once construction is completed.

I have been buoyed by the willingness of this coalition government to front up with the money that projects like this will require. Through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, millions have been committed to ensuring our dry continent can continue to be not only habitable but productive. While the Rookwood Weir project was one of the first to receive capital funding from the fund, dozens of other projects around the country received funding for the completion of feasibility studies. Many of these projects—like the Urannah Dam, set high in the hills west of Mackay, in the upper reaches of the Burdekin catchment—have since completed their feasibility studies and are now attracting capital investment.

I was proud during the recent election to join the Deputy Prime Minister and my colleague the member for Dawson in announcing $10 million for the final business case and crucial early works. With the election out of the way, I am confident we will soon see action on this major industry-enabling infrastructure, as long as the state Labor government can understand the message sent on 18 May and stop dragging their feet on these water projects. Rookwood Weir and Urannah Dam are must-do projects for Central Queensland, and I believe the state government must do everything it can to see them underway as soon as possible. A considerable amount of time and effort was put into developing the case for projects like these, both locally and in Canberra, and I have to thank our local media, especially the editor of The Morning Bulletin, Frazer Pearce, for getting behind us in our bid to make Rookwood Weir a reality. Each of us in this place owes some debt to our local media, and their devotion to what our local communities need is one of the things that keeps each of us accountable to the people we represent.

At times, what our region has needed most has not been projects of concrete and steel but essential services to ensure regional families are fairly treated within our court system. I strongly lobbied the previous Attorney-General George Brandis to have a Federal Circuit Court judge permanently located at what is the hub of the Central Queensland region, Rockhampton. This new court circuit services our whole region by providing a physical presence on a rotational basis in Rockhampton, Emerald, Mackay and Gladstone, making the Federal Court far more accessible for those who need it.

Another service that is needed more every year is improved rehabilitation services for those struggling with addiction. Substance addiction is a terrible scourge, and many in this place will have seen what a devastating impact it can have on families and whole communities. Central Queensland, like anywhere, has its struggle with substances, both legal and contraband. I am committed to delivering services that make a real difference for our community, which is why I was so proud to deliver a two-year program to be based in Rockhampton. This two-year scheme, delivered by Healthy Options Australia, is a non-residential 12-week program focused on breaking the insidious cycle of drug addiction. Rehabilitation services are crucial to ensuring that people battling substance abuse have the support that they need to get their lives back on track, and I am proud to be part of a government which is taking real action on this issue.

It is through my delivery—real delivery—every day that we have to 'reawaken' the Capricornia region. I have secured funding for transformative local infrastructure that is either completed, underway or in the pipeline. Funding for projects in the western regions includes $5 million going to Signature Onfarm beef for a processing facility and creating more jobs, with $25 million in additional NAIF funding; $325,000 to the Collinsville QCWA for a new community hall; $230,000 to the Clermont kindergarten for a physical and environmental upgrade; and $105,000 to Queensland healthcare services to increase services in Clermont. On the Capricorn Coast, there is $10 million for the Livingstone Shire Council for the Yeppoon foreshore precinct and CBD revitalisation; $20 million for Keppel Bay Sailing Club for a 1,000 seat convention centre; $64 million for upgrades on the Rocky-Yeppoon Road; and $165 million towards the Shoalwater Bay military training facility. In Rockhampton, there is $25 million for the Rockhampton levee bank; $5 million for the Rockhampton Airport upgrade; $7 million for the Rockhampton Hospital car park; and $10 million for the Rockhampton Art Gallery. To the north, in Sarina and South Mackay, there is almost $10 million to Central Queensland University for a world-class sporting precinct in Ooralea; $250,000 to Linked Group Services for an off-grid showcase; and funding for a satellite headspace in Sarina. In Walkerston and the Pioneer Valley, there is $80 million for the Walkerston bypass; $653,708 for West Tigers leagues club for an undercover bowls green; $300,000 for Palmyra Dragway for track upgrades and repairs after Cyclone Debbie; and $50,000 for the Finch Hatton emergency airstrip.

As mentioned earlier, in August last year, I was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Children and Families, and I am so pleased that I am remaining in this portfolio. This government is firmly committed to ensuring that every Australian family and every Australian child are given the support that they need to be safe and to prosper. Of course, some major challenges exist in this portfolio, but I am excited to be given an opportunity to enhance and build on the significant achievements that this government has delivered in this space. In January this year, I launched the Fourth Action Plan of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children. The national framework provides a long-term national approach to improving the way that we, as a nation, care for Australia's children and keep them safe. The Fourth Action Plan has a strong focus on improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are at risk of entering, or are in contact with, child protection services. With Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children currently 10 times more likely to be in out-of-home care compared with non-Indigenous children, this focus is very important.

Also outlined in the fourth action plan is improved data development and better information sharing between the Commonwealth, the states and territories. This includes measuring permanency outcomes for children in out-of-home care and new national indicators to monitor compliance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. Funding has been committed for the start-up costs for a national child protection information system, and seven of 10 sites have been announced for the $35 million Stronger Places, Stronger People initiative. This program takes an innovative and place based approach with communities, one that harnesses local knowledge and which has the aim of smashing the cycle of childhood poverty.

Stronger Places, Stronger People is something that I'm particularly excited about, and I'm looking forward to seeing what this innovation can deliver. Currently, there are more than 45,800 Australian children in out-of-home care. This is simply not good enough. Every Australian child deserves a loving, permanent and stable home, and in my role I'll do everything I can to make a positive difference in this space.

This is a government that is taking action against the horror of domestic and family violence. In April we announced a $328 million package to reduce violence against women and children, and to keep them safe. This is the fourth action plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, and this $328 million figure is the largest-ever Commonwealth investment on this issue. To stop violence against women we need to counter the culture of disrespect towards women, and that's why, as part of this package, we're investing so heavily in prevention, with more than $68 million to stop violence before it even begins. Clearly, this issue remains a huge challenge but it's great to see that eliminating violence against women and children is one of this government's top priorities.

Deputy Speaker Bird, you may recall I mentioned earlier that Capricornia has traditionally been a Labor-held electorate. That appears to have changed. From being held on a 12.5 per cent margin by the ALP at the 2007 election, the seat is now held on an 11.5 per cent margin, this time by the LNP. The same has been replicated across a number of other regional Queensland electorates. Those who call this region home surveyed their options and came to the conclusion that Labor simply didn't represent them anymore.

I will always stand up for our region and for the jobs that our families rely on. I always have and always will stand up for our mining sector, and I won't apologise to the vegan-soy-latte-sipping activists who reside in capital cities and who are disconnected from the people in regional Queensland and the challenges they face. Our capital cities simply won't exist without the tremendous wealth and resources that regions like Central Queensland create, and the time has come for our region to stand up to the self-absorbed patronising that we see from the south.

Speaking of patronising from the south, it would be very remiss of me not to add a huge and well-deserved thank you to the sterling contribution of former Tasmanian senator Bob Brown, whose efforts in lecturing throughout the coalfields of the Bowen and Galilee basins did not go unnoticed. Much more than that, the former senator's arrogance helped galvanise our region. Central Queenslanders were already growing tired of the hopelessly inept Labor state government's approach towards our primary industries, deliberately slowing down approvals for mining projects—including for Adani's Carmichael mine—and the development-blocking vegetation management legislation. This had many in Central Queensland feeling uncertain about their futures.

Enter Bob Brown and his merry contingent of misinformed climate crusaders. What we saw was a great surge of support on the ground from the industries that feed us, clothe us, power our homes and pay our bills. Scenes in Clermont, ground zero for the Galilee Basin argument, were more like an inner-city day of action than a weekend in a true-blue country town. I believe that there would have been more Central Queenslanders who, in their own minds, may not necessarily fully support expanding coal mining into the Galilee Basin; however, they stood up and said no to the policy puritans from the south. This event sparked a surge against political correctness and against the demeaning virtue signalling of so many who live their comfortable lives which are so removed from our primary industries.

Central Queenslanders know which side their bread is buttered on, and they know what it is that makes our nation one of the wealthiest on the planet. It is our natural resources and agriculture sector, and everyday, hardworking people who put their shoulders to the wheel to produce them. This election result belongs to them because they are the ones brave enough and tough enough to do what it takes to build this nation to fulfil its potential. The forgotten people, the battlers, the quiet Australians: I salute you and I will continue to work hard every day for you.

Capricornia has a great future, and I am proud to be part of a government which continues to deliver for our region. Thank you, Capricornia.

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