Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is one of the great honours an Australian can receive to be elected to this place, and I am humbled every day that the people of Fadden placed their faith and trust in me. As I rise today for the first time to speak in this place, I am conscious that this opportunity is the gift of the electorate to me personally, and one which carries great responsibility. I can tell you that I feel that deep sense of responsibility today. I often say that it takes a lifetime to become an overnight success. The result in the by-election on 15 July 2023, whilst visible on that day, was built on endeavour and endurance my whole life. I pledge that I will apply that same endeavour and endurance in my new role as a federal member of parliament and fight every day for the people of Fadden.

Throughout my life I've been motivated by part of a famous speech by Theodore Roosevelt in Paris, on 23 April 1910:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

In 2006, at the age of 26, I started my own business, a small law firm at Hope Island, Caldwell Solicitors. I had what you might describe as an ambitious tagline: 'Experience on your side'. I had some enjoyable times but I also had some challenging times. I got stuck in the middle of the GFC, but I managed to grow the business over the next 10 years. I will never forget the stresses of making payroll and paying rent and the fact that, in all of those years, I paid everyone else's super but my own.

The Gold Coast is the small-business capital of Australia. My experience of the sacrifice and stress is felt by many Gold Coast families who are having a go, whether as a tradie, a cafe owner, a hairdresser or a butcher. I will never forget my roots in small business and in the private sector. To all of those small businesses out there, I pledge my support to you.

I will always remember the people I helped in my profession as a lawyer. During the election, one former client came through the polling booth. I hadn't seen her for more than a decade. She was carrying with her her youngest child, about the same age as my daughter Clementine. She said: 'I don't know much about politics, but what I do know is that, when I needed it, you really, really helped me a lot.' And she said, 'I know you will do a great job of this.' And that was just one example.

In 2012, I felt I could do more, and I was motivated to contribute to the local community at a council level. It was time to put up my hand to serve the northern Gold Coast on council, to make our city a better place. I was fortunate to be re-elected in 2016 and 2020. To the people of Fadden, and to every single Australian who I work for in this place, all of these years later, I can truly say: I now have the experience, and I'm on your side.

I'm a proud Gold Coaster. We are a city of youth and enthusiasm. Sometimes we're misunderstood, but we are always loved by those who holiday with us and ultimately retire there. I was proud to serve on the Gold Coast city council for almost 12 years, and I want to make special mention of the locals in divisions 3 and 4, who I've always worked hard for and who have supported me in return.

I want to share an experience that I had along the way, of how anyone can serve their community if they want to, and, if they want to, achieve a personal goal if they set their mind to it. I'd always wanted to get my bronze medallion and patrol the Gold Coast beaches. I thought that, like some of my friends, you needed to be a serious athlete to achieve this, but I looked into it and I thought, 'This won't be easy, but I'm going to have a go.' At the age of 35, I did a very slow qualification swim. But I completed the course and passed, and went on to patrol at the Southport Surf Lifesaving Club. I have never been prouder of that personal achievement or that particular service to my community.

I'm a proud Queenslander. I was born in Mount Isa. I grew up in Redcliffe, where I went to primary school. I went to school at Nudgee College, like one of my colleagues here, and I went to uni at QUT. I've now resided at the Gold Coast for more than 20 years. It really doesn't get much more Queensland than that. I understand our state, and I understand Queenslanders.

I will never forget the early generations of my family, from regional parts of our state, and the contribution they made. I make special mention of my grandfather Vince Caldwell, who started his life as a miner and went on to be a citrus farmer on the highway in Howard, in Queensland. Vince died when I was just 21, but I appreciate the impact that he had on my life, and I know he would have been incredibly proud of this moment today.

I am a proud Australian. To say that we are 'the lucky country' is to understate the real essence of our being—and that is that we are the land of opportunity. That opportunity is founded on the freedoms we enjoy and those freedoms which have been fiercely defended. John Howard said on 24 January 1997:

There is a very identifiable Australian character and Australian identity.

And he went on to say:

When we examine our national identity we should always remember that the symbols that we hold very dear as Australians and the beliefs that we have about what it is to be an Australian are not things that can ever be imposed from above by political leaders of any persuasion. They are not things that can be generated by self appointed, cultural elite who … tell us what our identity ought to be. Rather they are feelings and attitudes that grow out of the spirit of the people.

I am not here, in this place, to impose change on our nation. I am here to allow each and every Australian to choose who they want to be, and who, collectively, we want to be as a nation. I will use every opportunity available to me to ensure that the safe, stable, Australian way of life is here to stay.

The namesake of the seat, Arthur Fadden, was born in Ingham in North Queensland, opened a small accounting practice, was elected to council, moved to Brisbane and ultimately was elected to federal parliament in the seat of McPherson on the Gold Coast. The parallels to date at least seem pretty close. As he was a former Prime Minister, albeit for 40 days and 40 nights, and having been the second-longest-serving Treasurer, I feel that as the member for Fadden I have big shoes to fill, but I commit myself to the task.

Speaking of Fadden, it's an electorate at the northern end of the Gold Coast, and because no-one here is yet of retirement age and I know you're all wanting to escape the Canberra winter I will take you on a short journey through what is a beautiful part of our country.

From Labrador in the south you head north through Biggera Waters to Runaway Bay and then via my home suburb of Hollywell to Paradise Point, where you can enjoy the best park-run course in Australia or you can listen to the iconic Sunday Sounds in the Parklands. In Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove you might enjoy a round of golf. This is the coastal strip where connection to water and our natural environment is everything to us.

Moving west, residents enjoy our inner-green suburbs of Arundel, Parkwood, Helensvale, Gaven and Pacific Pines—the suburb where I bought my first home on the Gold Coast. To the north we have the emerging growth corridor of Coomera, Pimpama and Ormeau. It is in these suburbs in Fadden where you will find the homes of many young families establishing themselves in this world. These suburbs personify the aspirational and hardworking Gold Coast resident.

Fadden is a diverse landscape. It's a beautiful place but with even better people. I reflect with pride on the fabric of our community that I have spent the last 20 years serving as either a lawyer or a councillor. I think of the Labrador Tigers AFL club and the Runaway Bay Little Athletics, with nearly 400 kids involved, the Paradise Point Bowls Club, which is a gathering place for families and retirees, the integral role that our Neighbourhood Watch groups play in Coombabah and Runaway Bay, the Rotary clubs of Hope Island, Coomera Valley and Ormeau-Pimpama, the Coomera Cutters Junior Rugby League Club, who started with a bare field and through true community spirit delivered a clubhouse, and the Runaway Bay and North Gold Coast RSL sub-branches. All these people are the fabric of Fadden.

The northern Gold Coast is also a significant economic powerhouse for the Gold Coast, with everything from generation-old caneland agriculture to cutting-edge space technology. Our area has been the driver of the marine industry for decades. The marine and shipbuilding sectors are crucial for Queensland's ongoing growth and the diversification of our important tourism and export sector. These provide employment for Gold Coasters and it's something I feel incredibly passionate to represent, knowing it has such great potential. I look forward to working with the local marine industry, knowing it's flow-on impact to the tourism and export sectors, to keep driving economic growth and creating more jobs for northern Gold Coasters and Australians.

Tourism is a key pillar of the Gold Coast economy. In addition to the beaches of the Gold Coast, the theme parks are a significant driver of that economy. Fadden is home to theme parks and movie studios. The contribution of the Gold Coast's film sector, primarily via the stages next to Movie World at Oxenford, is not only as a major Queensland employer; they are a driver of the Gold Coast's cultural contribution to cinema. The success of this thriving sector came through a significant contribution from the former coalition government's policy and funding, and I hope to be part of its further growth.

Tourism and the Gold Coast go hand in hand and our city has always understood what it takes to drive the economy and welcome visitors to enjoy their stay. Tourism provides more than 33,000 jobs in our city and over the last 10 years has contributed $48 billion to our economy. The latest data for the year ending March shows that the Gold Coast welcomed 12.7 million visitors, who generated a record $7.5 billion in expenditure, including a record 4.2 million domestic overnight visitors.

The return of international tourism, though, has been slow, with the international spend at around $744 million, compared to pre-pandemic levels that were over a billion dollars. This has been caused through aviation connectivity challenges, as airlines battle aircraft and staff availability. Higher than usual airfares, through a lack of competition, are also contributing to this slower return. Our objective of more tourists coming more often, staying longer and spending more is a simple approach to growing the sector.

There has never been a more obvious but important time to make a related point. More planes arriving means more tourists and a stronger tourism economy. To the one in six businesses on the Gold Coast and those across Australia that rely on the tourism industry: I understand your needs, and I pledge to support you.

I was fortunate enough to buy my first property during the time of the Howard government, but I fear that the great Australian dream is being snatched away. We must strive, as a nation, to increase homeownership. There is no better way to illustrate the collective ambition of our nation to have individual freedom and responsibility than to have people own their own home. Give as many people as possible the opportunity to have a stake in our nation.

In preparation for today, I again yesterday visited the national War Memorial. There is no better place to reflect on our nation. I pay tribute to all those men and women who served our country—making special mention of my grandfather Thomas William Hewett, who served in World War II, and his uncle Thomas Walsh, killed in action in Gallipoli in World War I.

The safety we feel as a community begins at our front doors, and the security we feel as a nation relies on defending our borders. In my role as a local councillor, I supported initiatives like the Runaway Bay Youth Centre, CCTV and better park lighting—all in an effort to improve our local safety. I believe in a safer and better society through targeted local initiatives, and in national defence capabilities to keep Australia safe, with investment that supports the men and women of the Defence Force.

As I get towards the end of my speech, I must reflect on the fact that politics is a team sport and I have the best team. I want to pay tribute and thank my wife, Lauren. Many of you know, the timing of the by-election was not without its challenges for our family, and Lauren, in her true, supportive and selfless role in my life and in our family, gave her support and gave her all. I know that her keen political competitive streak was enlivened by the campaign and, babe, we delivered the win, and you delivered the baby!

Many people say that it's hard to have a family and to serve to this place, and I'm sure that is true. But it is also the single greatest motivation for me to be here. To my daughters, Mackenzie, Clementine and Marigold: I love you so much. I am here for you. I'm here for your future, for your generation of young Australians and for those that follow.

To my parents, Warwick and Therese, also here today: I'd have not achieved in my life what I have without the opportunities that you provided me, the love that you have given me and the foundation of values that you instilled in me.

My sister and brother, Anna and John, are both here today. Thank you so much for being the best siblings anyone could ask for. Anna, I still recall vividly the games of backyard cricket we would play, and I think how much you would've loved to have been able to play in a professional team, which is now available to so many young girls. And, JC, as the planning chair for almost 12 years, I do think myself to be an expert in architecture, and landscaping, and traffic impacts, and planning. But I really do bow to your professional abilities and what you've achieved as an architect. To my in-laws, Tina and Martin, I doubt that when I married your daughter you would have thought you would find yourself part of a political family to the extent that we now are. To both of you and to Lachlan, thank you for your support of our family, much of which has allowed me to achieve my election in this place.

To Brett Anderson, you are literally the best friend anyone could ask for. One of my failings in life, which I don't like to talk about, is that I can't drive a manual car, so regrettably Brett does more trips to the dump in his ute than he probably should. For that and all the chats and all the signage runs during the election, thank you. Of my council colleagues who I count as friends, I make special mention of Hermann Vorster, whose sense of politics and people is impeccable and who has been a great support during testing times in council and now on the recent by-election journey. To you and Melissa, thank you.

Some of you may have noticed that I'm here because we had this little thing called by-election. Yes, there was bit riding on it. The campaign we ran was disciplined and competent and spoke to issues that are important to the people of Fadden. My sincere thanks goes to Andrew Hirst, Simon Berger and the team from Liberal Party fed sec, many of whom are here today. I just love it when a plan comes together. To Ben Riley, Matt Chadwick and the team from LNP HQ, thank you. To my ground team, Justin, who's here today; Angus; and Valeria, who's also here today—you were literally the best support that a candidate could have. Thank you both. To the volunteers locally from the Fadden FDC and more broadly, it was the commitment to our cause and the teamwork that laid the pathway to victory. To the Young LNP, you are a force to be reckoned with in politics. I must make special mention of Lachlan, Jordan, Piper and Bronte. Thank you so much. To Katika, from my division office, thank you, and best wishes with the upcoming delivery of your first child. To James in my electorate office, thank you for getting us to today, and a special mention to Emily Bradfield from my office, who worked with me in council and has now joined me in this federal space. Thanks for everything. To my now parliamentary colleagues who came and supported my campaign, thank you. I'm genuinely excited to be part of the team. And finally to our leader, Peter Dutton, you were engaged and supportive during the campaign, you're a genuine, thoughtful and decent individual and I thank you very much for your support.

My life experiences in work, family, professional and community service have instilled in me certain values, and those are values that I share with the Liberal and National parties. To the people of Australia, the values of Sir Robert Menzies are the reason I sit in this party and in this House. I truly believe that those values are aligned with your values. They are the Australian values, and they are as valid today as when the Liberal Party was formed. The values are reflected in the Fadden community. Whilst there is an alignment that has lead to my election, leadership and representation locally and nationally must be dynamic, and I will work hard to maintain the trust and confidence of the electorate. The people of Fadden support the Liberal and National parties and want us back in government. They want to see me sitting over that side, and that's what I want too.

To the people of Australia that I serve in this place: when you want to get ahead in life, I will support you. When you want the freedom to the best you want to be, I will do my best to enable you. When you want to provide for your family, I will help lift you up. When you want to stand with your family and your country to be safe and secure, I will stand with you. I am here for you.

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