Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My electorate of Wright is predominantly a regional and rural precinct, starting from the top of the Toowoomba range and going over to Mudgeeraba and the Gold Coast. We are in the midst of our show circuit season, so we have all these regional shows. As we move through the show circuit, there is one thing on my constituents' lips, and it is their concern about the carbon tax. It is a real fear out there. I have punters that are doing it tough with cost-of-living pressures, and they have real concerns that the compensation package put up by the government will go nowhere near mitigating the real cost of this tax—no more so than this weekend, at the 84th Annual Mudgeeraba Agricultural Show.

The show was well attended by a number of dignitaries and a number of locals. First, let me acknowledge Karen Andrews, the member for McPherson, who was present and who quite proudly entered a patchwork piece into the show and came second—a great achievement for Karen. It was a jumper that turns into a handbag. The show was also attended by the Hon. Ros Bates, the state member for Mudgeeraba. She is also the Minister for Science and Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts up there in Queensland and is a well-known identity through the electorate. The Hon. John McVeigh, the member for Toowoomba South and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, was also there. John raised a number of concerns with me when he was at the show with reference to the effect of the carbon tax right across the whole agricultural sector in Queensland and some of the feedback he was getting about the impact of that tax.

At a local level, it was attended by Glenn Tozer, the newly elected local councillor for division 9. He is also the Deputy Chair of Governance, Administration and Finance, and past president of Bonogin Valley Community Association. Glenn rightly has concerns about the waste-refuse tip at the Gold Coast which is in the crosshairs of this Labor-Green coalition, and the additional costs that will be passed onto the community.

A lady who did not have the time to speak to me about the carbon tax is the well-known Helen Ripper, the Mudgeeraba Show Society President. Helen does a fantastic job at that show every year and, if anyone has the opportunity to get to Mudgeeraba for that show, I would encourage them to do so. Helen has been there for nine years. She started off as a steward with a one-metre square table and now she looks after 10 acres. Good work, Helen, and I look forward to catching up with you in the future.