Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Each year, like other members representing regional areas, I enjoy attending local shows in the electorate. We are currently in the middle of the local show season. The Kilcoy show this year was held on 17 and 18 April followed by the Maleny show last weekend, on 29 and 30 May, and this coming weekend we have got the Caboolture show. It is not always possible for me to get to all of these shows but certainly I enjoy going along, because I am encouraged by the wonderful and energetic people who volunteer their time to assist and make the effort to ensure that the event is as successful as possible. Of course, I refer to people like the marshals for the arena events and the wood chopping through to the volunteers who help out at the show society, to the cake and coffee servery and meal stalls, as well as those who organise the various displays for cooking, including cakes and biscuits, embroidery, flower displays, bird breeding and student artwork. Every year the Rotarians from the Rotary Club at Maleny look after the gate.

This year the Maleny show was honoured by the presence of Her Excellency the Governor of Queensland, Penny Wensley AC, who officially opened the event. I first got to know the now governor when she was a distinguished Australian diplomat. The show usually experiences interesting weather. Maleny is one of those districts that have a very heavy rainfall. While the weather this year was better than last year, which saw torrential rain and wind and caused many events and attractions to close down early, this year a half-hour period of heavy rain arrived just when Her Excellency was delivering her opening address. Maybe we should send Her Excellency to drought stricken areas of Australia.

However, despite the rain, Her Excellency persevered in a performance and display of opening the show which was both admirable and impressive. After the opening ceremony guests were invited to afternoon tea. This involved a short walk across the arena through a sodden paddock across a muddy driveway. Again Her Excellency dealt with all of this with a characteristically positive attitude and a smile on her face. I would like to thank Her Excellency the Governor of Queensland for attending the show and to say on behalf of the local community how much they appreciated her presence and her wonderful demeanour. She is a person who has won many friends and great respect. I also had the opportunity of speaking with her husband, Stuart, who hails from the Sunshine Coast hinterland and that was also an enjoyable and informative experience.

As I mentioned before, the Caboolture Show is being held this weekend over the days of 5, 6 and 7 June. I look forward to attending it with my wife and enjoying what is always a successful and well-attended annual event for local residents. I have also had the opportunity recently to attend a number of community events in my electorate, like other honourable members in their own electorates. These included the Fisher Seniors Forum, which was organised by the Fisher Seniors Council and my office. The seniors forum attracted almost 300 guests this year, the ninth year of the event, and also had some 25 exhibits from community organisations and service providers who specialise in providing goods and services for seniors. It was great to see so many people who are dedicated to seniors and the community making the effort to be involved in the Fisher Seniors Forum. I greatly appreciate their assistance as to this event. This year the special guest speakers were Dr Barry Ritchie, the head of the Retirement Research Group of the Association for Independent Retirees, who pointed out the fraudulent nature of the government’s so-called increases for pensioners; and Mr Gary Hopkins, a local solicitor in issues that affect seniors such as retirement villages, enduring powers of attorney, wills and so on. I would like to thank them for their involvement and for giving their time to pass on important and valuable information to the many guests. I would like to publicly recognise once again the efforts of the members of the Fisher Seniors Council—Helen Sava, Jack Backer, David Bywaters, June Conolly, Frank Gower, John Henderson, Robyn Marshall, Colin Wade, Mrs B Williams and the honorary life member, Maureen Kingston AM, who was there when the Fisher Seniors Council was set up so many years ago.