Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This weekend past was a significant one in state politics. The New South Wales by-elections allowed locals to send an unequivocal message to the Labor state government, the ACT election saw a change in the political landscape and on the Gold Coast the Liberal-National Party’s inaugural candidates were chosen to contest the Queensland state election. These candidates are Dr Alex Douglas for Gaven, Richard Towson for Broadwater, Tania Wright for Southport and Michael Crandon for the newly formed seat of Coomera. As all members in this place would know and appreciate, putting your hand in the air to contest an election is not a decision one should take lightly. I wish all these candidates the very best of luck in their endeavour to have local people support them as their representatives in state parliament when the election is called.

One thing that has struck me in my short time as the member for Fadden is the array of state issues that seriously impact on local residents and continue to do so with little hope for progress on their being fixed. Despite my representation of the northern Gold Coast at a federal level, people tend to see me as someone who they can approach about all issues, whether it is the Queensland Health horror story, local roads or infrastructure, the state system dragging their feet at the LORDS school in Ormeau or the importance of dredging in the Broadwater. These are stories that are raised with me every day. They are demonstrative of the importance of solid and proactive representation at the state level to ensure these issues are resolved. I wish our candidates all the best as they go forward.