Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and congratulations on your elevation to office. Colleagues, it is with humility and honour that I stand before you today as a member of the 47th Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. I'm a tomato farmer from Bowen, and I'm pretty happy to be here. I drive a Land Cruiser, I drink beer, I fish and I shoot—not necessarily all at the same time! I'm the first of my community to represent Dawson at the federal level. This is an achievement of which I'm immensely proud. My home sits smack bang in the middle of Dawson. The electorate runs along the coastline from Townsville to Mackay and includes 74 beautiful islands and the Great Barrier Reef. I would like to thank the people of the electorate for putting their faith in me. It is an honour and privilege, and I will not let you down.

I'm a proud National in every sense of the word. I'm a farmer by trade, raised on the land. My parents and grandparents have instilled a high standard of principles in me. We work hard and we believe in reward for effort. We also believe in a fair go for those who have a go.

Growing up I was surrounded by family. Mum and Dad worked long hours on the farm, and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. They all had a hand in raising me—teaching me right from wrong, the importance of hard work and how to appreciate the value of a dollar. This last lesson came particularly from my dad's mum, whose first house, on a station in the Gulf, had dirt floors and no electricity, and the closest grocery store was miles from the homestead. She often told me the 'good old days' were overrated and that she enjoyed a stove that heated up at the flick of a switch.

My family taught me everything, from basic cooking and cleaning to fixing a broken-down pump to how to wield a chainsaw. I learnt to make a lot out of a little and to never take anything for granted. I learnt that with actions came consequences. I was always loved unconditionally—something I will be forever grateful for. For me, family always comes first, and I hope and pray that my wife, Raylene, and I will pass on the values my parents and grandparents taught me to my three children: Jack, Shannon and Tom.

When Mum and Dad were farming they grew several crops, including tomatoes, capsicums and chilis. We also owned the original Kensington mango orchard. That is a mango that Bowen is famous for. I've had many photos taken in front of the Big Mango, including with our own Leader of the Nationals and agricultural spokesperson, David Littleproud.

The only thing I ever wanted to be was a farmer. Dad, knowing this, had two 'must's. The first 'must' was to learn the business from the ground up. So I did. I worked as a picker, worked as a carter, drove tractors and trucks, planted out—sometimes by hand—and packed fruit in the shed; back then, that was by hand, too. And when the small crop season was over, it was time to pick and pack the famous Bowen mangoes, often in 38-degree heat. We were either out in the sun on the farm or in the shed under a hot tin roof. Picking mangoes was often an interesting experience. I say 'interesting 'in the sense that there was always something unexpected around the corner, like biting green ants, stinging wasps and the odd tree snake. As a young fella, I would often have to climb the trees to pick the fruit—I was a lot skinnier and a bit more flexible back then! Dad's second 'must' was that I get an education, and after completing grade 12 I duly enrolled to study at the University of Queensland's Gatton campus. But I was keen on the practical over the theoretical, so I deferred my studies in order to continue working on the farm.

As is often the case in life, when one door shuts, another opens, and this was true for me. The farm next door came up for sale, so I bought it with a little help from Mum and Dad—actually, a lot of help from Mum and Dad! They were keen to see me get into the business of farming. A short time later my sister and her husband, Wayne, returned to Bowen. Raylene and I formed a partnership with them to buy Mum and Dad's business, so they could put their hard work behind them and move on to retirement. We specialised in gourmet trellis tomatoes, selling them nationally and internationally. We employed 15 permanent staff and provided jobs to hundreds of casuals during the picking season.

I'll be forever grateful for my farming background. The ability to make such an important contribution as feeding our nation is one that I'm proud to boast about. The farmer of today is efficient and resourceful, their practices modernised, with their farm and equipment worth millions of dollars. The costs of fertiliser and pesticides is enormous. Anyone who thinks farmers let their products run down the drain hasn't paid one of their bills. Efficiency is a must, and nothing is wasted. Farmers are heavily invested emotionally and financially in their operations. To work the land, you must love it. Farmers do not wish to harm the environment, the land or the water surrounding them. This is the same environment that provides their livelihoods and in many cases has done so for many generations. Every family needs a farmer, and we need to start giving farmers the support they need, the respect they deserve and the right for them to farm. After all, the livestock and produce we offer is amongst the best in the world.

We need to provide good infrastructure and water security. That's why I'm totally committed to projects like Urannah Dam and Hells Gates Dam, and to raising the Burdekin Falls Dam to the full height of 14 metres. Water is the lifeblood of rural and regional Australia. Water management is more important. When you add water, everything grows—populations, economies, opportunities. To borrow a of quote from my parliamentary colleague Barnaby Joyce, 'Water is the currency and the dam is the bank.' Urannah Dam will provide a secure and affordable water supply for our current farmers and our mining industry, as well as industrial and urban users, and will secure the region's water future. Urannah also includes a pumped hydroelectric scheme, which will provide clean, green, reliable energy that can be connected straight into the north-south high-voltage grid which feeds the national network. Surely water stored at height must be one of the best batteries in the world.

I return to the journey that brought me to this place today. After 22 years of farming, I decided it was time to try something new. It was during that time that my local councillor announced his retirement, so I thought this was the opportunity to give back to the wonderful community that had given so much to me and my family. I threw my hat in the ring. I was fortunate enough to win the election. I served a year as councillor and three years as deputy mayor, and I've held the top job of Mayor of the Whitsunday Regional Council for the last six years. I cherished each opportunity and I am forever grateful to the people of the Whitsunday region for putting their faith in me. Local government is the level of government that is closest to the people. That is why I will be pushing to see the federal assistance grants to local government return to one per cent of taxation. This funding is critical to the people of rural and regional towns.

I've spoken about how I got into local government. Let me explain now how I made the leap to federal representation. Well, it's a bit of history repeating itself. When the previous member for Dawson announced his retirement, and knowing how important our region is and knowing all it has to offer, I again threw my hat into the ring. I won the right to represent the LNP as its Dawson candidate, and so began a nine-month campaign leading up to last federal election. I would like to thank the Liberal-National party members for putting their faith in me and giving me that opportunity.

The electorate of Dawson a is a powerhouse region that punches above its weight in terms of export earnings and job creation. We have the largest sugarcane industry in Australia; how sweet it is! The industry is now exploring alternative uses of sugarcane, like bioplastics and biofuels. But there is a lot more going on in my electorate. My home town of Bowen is the famous 'salad bowl' of the north. It is responsible for over half a billion dollars in horticultural products, helping feed our nation and the world. Our fishing and aquacultural industry delivers everything from live fish exports to Hong Kong to some of the tastiest Australian prawns you're ever likely to munch on. We also produce some of the best beef on the planet thanks to my electorate's cattle producers. Mackay also has a large METS sector which services the important mining industry just over the hill in Michelle Landry country, the seat of Capricornia. For anyone who doesn't understand METS, it means mining, engineering, technology and science, so there are plenty of bright cookies in my electorate. We also have other emerging industries, like Top Shelf International's agave farm, located between Proserpine and Bowen. Top Shelf is working with the University of Adelaide to create the first-of-its-kind spirits category: Australian agave. Agave is the plant that tequila is made from, so to the boys at Top Shelf—Aden, Drew, Henno and Chris—I say, 'Cheers!'

This is another great story: two brothers, Adam and James Gilmour, are literally taking on the giants of the space technology sector with their company Gilmour Space Technologies. Their team is working towards launching small satellites from their spaceport near Abbot Point just north of Bowen. The satellites can be used for earth observation and telecommunication. There is even the potential to launch Australian astronauts from this site. There is a sovereign risk if we do not support this project. I am totally supportive. We need to be brave; we need to be bold. Let's get it done.

And, of course, there's our fabulous tourism industry, which boasts Airlie Beach and the 74 beautiful Whitsunday Islands, and we are also the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. Our tourism operators are world class. Come visit. I can guarantee you'll have a good time.

Dawson delivers all of this without some of the infrastructure afforded to the capital cities. Imagine what could be achieved if we were on a level playing field. While I am the member for Dawson, I will unashamedly be pushing for our region's fair share. I will use my time in this role to continue to grow my electorate for a stronger future. I will work towards creating more reliable and affordable water, more reliable and affordable energy and more reliable and affordable communications. I'll work for more investment in infrastructure, particularly in our roads. Roads need to be functional and safe. Roads on which we can get our produce to market and bring our families home safely.

Remember how I said my grandmother loved her modern-day appliances and turning on a stove or a light with a flick of a switch? Well, I don't believe she is Robinson Crusoe. Unfortunately, we're now at a point where it is becoming unaffordable to flick that switch and reliability is in question. I cannot believe that we have some of the highest energy costs in the world. Energy policy must ensure generators from whatever source provide power 24/7. I am a supporter of all energy options, whether it be coal- or gas-fired, solar, wind, hydro or nuclear. We need to provide power to businesses and households that is reliable and affordable. For power generated only when the sun shines or when the wind blows, it should be beholden to the provider to make up the shortfall. Otherwise, the grid will be further destabilised. That's why I support a brand new, high-efficiency, low-emissions coal-fired power station with carbon capture and storage to ensure we keep our lights on.

I also recognise the small businesses owners, the hospitality workers and the retail workers who invest in our small towns. Having been a business owner and an employer myself, I understand the pressures and stress that come with this role. I know the responsibilities of paying your staff wages, paying the bills and just trying to make ends meet or scratch a living. These small business owners are an integral part of my region and are the backbone of our nation. I will strive to ensure that government gets out of the road of small businesses and lets them do what they do best: create more jobs.

I look forward to working with my neighbouring colleagues such as Michelle Landry in Capricornia, Phil Thompson in Herbert, Dale Last in the state seat of Burdekin and Amanda Camm in the Whitsunday state electorate. And, of course, I'll work with our local governments, like the Mackay and Whitsunday regional councils, the Burdekin Shire Council and the Townsville Regional Council. These organisations are essential to providing the services our ratepayers rely on. I know that when all three tiers of government work together, all Australians benefit.

After reflecting on my recent campaign, I would also like to thank my campaign team and the members and supporters who doorknocked, letterbox-dropped, waved signs and stood out in the elements on election day and during prepolling. I appreciate your hard work and your dedication. To the people who voted for me and who have put their trust in me, I say thank you. I could not be here without you. To the people who didn't vote for me: I'm going to work for you, too.

I would like to give special thanks to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud, Senator Susan McDonald, Michelle Landry, Keith Pitt, David Crisafulli, Senator Matthew Canavan, Phil Thompson, Shelley Argent, Sarah Jones and Lincoln Folo. And a heartfelt mention goes out to my friends Ian and Trudi-Ann, Carl, Paul, Guy and Mardi, Judy, Clare, Lyn, Warren and Chris Scanlan, and Robert Barty. Thank you.

To my grandparents, who are no longer on this earth but who, I'm sure, continue to watch me from above: you are forever in my heart. To my mum and dad, to Leanne and Wayne, to Donna and John, and, of course, to my loving wife, Raylene, and my children, Jack, Shannon and Tom: words never come easy when I speak of my family, so I simply say thank you. That's why I did it quick!

I'd like to finish off where I began. I'm a proud National in every sense of the word—a farmer, a man from the land. I'll work hard to grow a stronger future for my electorate of Dawson, I'll work hard for our country and I'll work hard for all Australians. PS—go Jeff Reibel and the mighty North Queensland Cowboys. Cheers, and thank you.

See this speech in context