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

It is such a privilege to be here in this House this evening, representing the electorate of Brand, as it has been, of course, since I was elected in July 2016. Although the federal election this year was almost six months ago, there are an enormous number of people I need to thank for their help during the campaign and for the help and support they continue to give me as a member in this place.

The election earlier this year was the third federal election for which I have stood, and I was enormously pleased and proud to have the overwhelming support of the people of the city of Kwinana and the city of Rockingham. I will continue to represent them, as I have since 2 July 2016, and I thank the whole community for the trust they have placed in me, to be their representative in Canberra.

To my husband, Jamie, who's actually here today—he's the lone person in the gallery! Congratulations! It's a rare thing that people sit around at this time of night watching us. But thanks, Jamie, for your constant love and support—emotional support and very practical support: the kind of support that involves building 500 yard-signs in an evening after a hard day of campaigning during the election. Thanks for always being there for me, for now nearly 23 years, and for wrangling our little friends, Tim, David, Bennie, Ziggy and our old mate Blue.

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