Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Monday night, I received a phone call from a constituent of mine, Ian Van der Woude, who, along with his partner, Michelle Christoe, owns the NightQuarter. It was a very distressing phone call to advise me that he had had to put the business into administration. I want to thank him and Michelle for the amazing work they've done in bringing international live acts to the Sunshine Coast. They are great supporters of national and local artists. They put their blood, sweat and tears into that business and they spent millions of their own money, but COVID and floods, among other things, got the better of them. I want them to know that the Sunshine Coast are very proud of them and of the work that they have done. My heart breaks because of what has happened for them. It's a very sad day for them and it's a very sad day for our local community.

I also want to wish all my constituents in Fisher, and all Australians, a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. It has been a challenging year for many of us but, as they say, that which does not kill us makes us stronger, and let's hope that that old adage is very true. I want to pay tribute to my family, who have given me great support in doing this job, but I want to pay particular tribute to my staff. I know that we all, in this place, are helped immeasurably by our respective staff. When I took on this job in July 2016, Leanne Welch was the first one to put her hand up, and, sadly, she's leaving me at the end of this year. Leanne, thank you so much for everything you have done. As my constituency manager you are the front line of my office, you have helped thousands of people, and you've led a small team of constituency officers in my office for over six years now. You've done me proud. In fact, all my staff do me proud every day. Jak, you've been an amazing all-rounder. Thanks for all your support. Greg, equally, you've been a great addition to the team. Katie has been amazing. She's on holidays at the moment, so probably won't hear this. Emelia, thanks for your support. We look forward to Michelle and Tim coming onboard next year and relieving Leanne. Leanne, we're not going to lose you altogether. I hope we can continue to use your services on a part-time basis. But thank you for your support; I would not be able to do this job without you, nor would I be able to do it without the support of my family.

Finally, to the constituents of Fisher: Merry Christmas, stay safe and have a wonderful time with your families.

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