Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand today to talk about the worst state members we have ever seen in Townsville. Labor's Scott Stewart, Aaron Harper and Coralee O'Rourke are constantly missing in action. To be honest, I think they just don't care. I think they have given up. I think they just don't represent their constituents well whatsoever. This is very evident when we're talking about Palm Island, which is in the electorate of Herbert. Palm Island residents have had to boil their water and now have to get bottled water shipped across because Scott Stewart hasn't done his job.

When I went to Palm Island as a candidate, we announced $2 million to help out with their water security. Scott Stewart said, 'We don't need it.' What did he do next? Just couple of days ago, he jumped up in the media and said, 'Where's this money?'—the money that he told me he didn't need. I also found out he emailed the Minister for Indigenous Affairs at 10 am and then demanded, at 1 pm, that we abide by his request. That's not how it happens. He's putting politics above people, and this is just continual. They can't talk about mining, they hate coal—don't even get me started on that—and crime is out of control. They've done nothing and they'll do nothing. They have no policies. They've shut down boot camps. They love bail houses. They just don't represent their constituents anymore. They don't represent us.

See this speech in context