Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker Mitchell, and congratulations on your role in this august place. While this is in no way my first speech after 15 years and six elections, it does feel like a long time since I have given a speech in this place. The misnomer of being called Speaker in the last parliament is that the Speaker actually never gets to speak, so I am feeling a little overwhelmed at being back here and rising in this place.

I want to thank everybody who let me jump the queue to give this speech today. I had hoped that my invisible staff member may be in the building, because I am giving it on his behalf. I am hoping he has arrived and is upstairs glued to the television so that when I get back he can tell me off.

I vividly remember giving my first speech in this place some 15 years ago. I had been beautifully conned by the whip at the time, Leo McLeay—a man known for getting his own way—that I should give my speech the day after I was sworn in. Of course, my speech was not ready by any stretch of the imagination and, not knowing the technology in this building, I lost my speech at 2 am and had to rewrite it. So, all in all, it was a traumatic experience. So I commend everybody who has given their maiden speech and also those who are about to follow me. The sense of pride and honour in being elected to this place, remembering the history of where they have come from, their electorates, why they are here and what they are doing has been overwhelming. I have listened to all of them and I have been thoroughly impressed. I am sure the ones to follow will be just as good.

I rise to speak on the Governor-General's address-in-reply and, sadly, I was not overwhelmed by it. What I was given a sense of was that this is not a government that is looking to reform. It is not a government of revolution; it is not even a government of evolution; it is a government of regression. The government, in its speech given by the Governor-General, indicated what it is going to repeal, what it is going to axe, what it is going to take away—not its vision for the future. Tragically, we have seen that in the short while they have already been in government. What they are here to do is to destruct, not to construct. I think that is tragic for any government of any day. What we should be here for is the betterment of our nation, not taking things away.

I, like many people after the election, received messages from lots of well-wishers and also from lots of people condemning the Labor Party—and, rightfully, I will add, for how we had conducted and lost the election, and all the rest of it. I wrote to them, and I am going to read part of the letter that I wrote on 26 September and sent out to my constituents. It states:

Sadly we are already seeing what depths this Government will stoop too and the public will no longer have a right to know or question. But Labor can only look to itself and its loss in this campaign and take full credit for our failure to sell achievements or engage with the voters. With this in mind I am even more grateful for your kind words as opposed to criticism during this time of uncertainty and soul searching.

Given our list of achievements were many it is more disappointing that the benefits to the community maybe lost…

I go on to cite what I think are some but not all of the great achievements of the Labor government. Since forming government in 2007, we have achieved some wonderful things. One of our proudest achievements has been reforms to the age pension. It is by far the biggest ever single increase to the pension and also very much in the Labor tradition. We had low unemployment, half the levels of Europe, and more than 960,000 jobs were created. We increased the tax-free threshold—again, a huge achievement—to $18,000, which was a huge boost for low-income earners. Labor bullet-proofed the Australian economy and kept it out of recession during the worst economic downturn in three-quarters of a century. Interest rates were low. Families with a $300,000 mortgage were saving $4,000 a year compared to the Howard-Costello years. Our finances were rock-solid with a AAA credit rating. Affordable high-speed broadband was being delivered to Australians and Australian businesses. This is something that we need to bring us into the 21st century; it is something that is now very much in jeopardy. The government's health agreement delivered more doctors, nurses, beds, shorter waiting lists and less waste.

Regardless of what the current Minister for Health said, we did an enormous amount in this space, and one thing was price disclosure, which actually means more medicines will be on the market for more people to benefit from. There was also pricing carbon, cutting pollution, cutting taxes and compensating seniors by increasing pensions and creating clean energy jobs—that was a huge achievement. I think we will regret abolishing something that will leave the next generation worse off than this one. I do not want to be part of a generation that is leaving the next generation worse off, but I will be, because we will not be doing enough to ensure we have a clean environment for the future. We will be the first generation in history to leave the next generation worse off. There are environment protections, marine parks, the Murray-Darling Basin, increasing national parks—just to name a few—and other environment areas. The government also helped our manufacturers to invest in new equipment to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution through the billion-dollar Clean Technology Investment Program—another thing that has gone.

Labor invested record amounts in schools over the first four years of the Labor government—$65 billion, which is nearly double the coalition's investment, in its last term. We built or rebuilt facilities—almost 24,000 projects in 9,500 schools, including 500 language and science centres; 2,900 covered outdoor learning areas; and 3,100 libraries. This is something we should be proud of. This is an achievement, not a waste, not a school hall rort. Go to any of your primary schools and tell me they are not happy with what they were given under Building the Education Revolution.

There was more than $36 billion worth in projects around the country after more than a decade of neglect and underspending; there was more money in higher education, which is particularly important in my electorate with two major universities; there was the first ever National Disability Insurance Scheme to ensure that people will have choice and control over the level of support they receive. All of these significant achievements, during our short time in government, are something we need to be rightly proud of—not ashamed of. Sadly, most of these will no longer progress.

I want to very much thank the people of Chisholm for granting me the absolute privilege of representing them again. It was a hard-fought battle and I was outspent 10 to 1. I want to commend John Nguyen, the liberal candidate, who worked tirelessly to knock me off—that man worked really hard to get rid of me! He valiantly went out there, he gave up 12 months of his life and, as he said, he was not going to go away knowing he had not given it his best effort—and he did. He is a genuinely nice bloke and I wish him and his wife, Sarah, well—they have just recently married. But the amount of money spent was staggering, and in the end it actually turned people off. I got calls that people—including my mother—were having to no longer turn up to their favourite petrol station because, when they got to the bowser, and there was a video camera running about how bad Anna Burke and Labor were and how great John Nguyen and the Liberal Party were, that was it.

We need to assess how we campaign and spend money, because in the end the amount of money spent was obscene and people were getting to the point of being overrun with it. In my 15 years in parliament, it was only in the last six years of government that I actually got to go and announce anything in my electorate, because it was the only time money was spent in my seat—vital money for vital resources. My seat is quite well-off; it has a high socioeconomic demographic. That is probably why it is quite astounding that I am still here after 15 years! The Liberal Party still see it as their seat—and fair enough, I get that. I do not see it as my seat—I see it as the people of Chisholm, and they gave me the honour to represent them here.

But it was only in the last six years that I got to go and announce anything, and it was amazing what we achieved: $175 million for the New Horizons Centre for Research Excellence at Monash University, a groundbreaking partnership with CSIRO building technology for the future; $4.7 million for the Monash Enterprise Centre to support small businesses and start-up enterprises, another great project that I have been championing for years, and I was absolutely thrilled that that got through; a billion dollars as part of the investment in the Clayton Manufacturing Innovation Precinct at the New Horizons Centre. As we know, most of the manufacturing that goes on in Australia happens in Melbourne, and a lot of it still goes on in my electorate. A lot of it has been lost, but a lot still goes on and this precinct is there to ensure that we actually revitalise the manufacturing sector in Australia.

There was $160 million for the Monash City Council stormwater harvesting, a great local project; $1.5 million to help local commercial buildings go green; $83.3 million for Building the Education Revolution for 92 projects at 46 local schools, all of them magnificent, and they were exceptionally happy with what they got; $200,000 to double the size of Benwerrin Kindergarten; $2.7 million to Box Hill TAFE for a green skills hub; $16 million for the redevelopment of GippsTAFE in Chadstone, another phenomenal institution doing great work in my electorate and for the future of our country; $60,000 for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at Wattle Park Primary School; $62.7 million for the diagnostic imaging package for Monash Medical Centre. It was an absolutely atrocity under the Howard government that at one of the largest hospitals in this country there was no Medicare funded MRI—we sorted that.

There was $150,000 to expand services at Blackburn South Medical Centre; $750,000 for the Eastern Community Legal Centre; $2.3 million for Wembley Park at Box Hill, to keep up the soccer tradition in my electorate—which is huge: with something like 40 per cent of my electorate having been born overseas, soccer is one of the largest games played in my neck of the woods; $4 million for the Batesford Reserve Youth and Community Hub in Ashwood, another thriving centre now that it has been built; $225,000 for the Princes Highway Reserve Pavilion upgrade to benefit the Oakley District Football and Cricket Club and also the Southern Darts League. The Southern Darts League were the most happy on that day, especially when they made me play darts—I was terrible! There was also $71,700 for senior's broadband kiosks across Chisholm and $241,115 for Home and Community Care packages. All of this was delivered in six years, and these are only small amounts we have gone into. In health, there was $75 million for the Translational Medical Centre that is being constructed now at the Monash Medical Centre—a fantastic initiative, translating research as it happens from the lab to the patient at the bed, and we have already seen outcomes from this.

But we are not going to see some things that were promised during the campaign that were funded under the regional development plan. There are projects that we had worked in consultation with the local community for, and I am very sorry to say that we will not be seeing those go ahead. But I understand that Liberal promises made during the campaign will happen. There were only a couple made within my electorate. Again, we keep talking about putting the Clayton railroad level crossing underground; it needs to be done. Somebody needs to bite the bullet. It will cost billions, I understand that—but at some stage the tragedy that is waiting to happen at that intersection will happen, and it needs to be fixed. Everyone has promised it; nobody has done anything about it. The Liberal Party promised it. I will be fascinated to see if we can actually make this happen. One thing that was promised by the Liberal candidate was $150,000 for the Victorian Sikh Association to build a pavilion at Ashwood Reserve. This was a highly divisive announcement and was unpopular with most of the sporting users of the precinct and the council. The council were not consulted. The local community groups were not consulted, besides the Sikh group, who are a fantastic group who use the reserve—but they were the only ones consulted. This is going to go ahead, even though the majority of the community does not want it. I have had the privilege of being in this place in opposition, government and now back in opposition, but it was only during my time in government that I actually saw things happen on the ground.

None of us get here unaided. None of us get here without support. My family have been unwavering in their support of me over these years. My Maddie and John have had no choice because they were both born after I came into this joint, so their lives have been very much dictated by the rhyme and rhythm of parliament. But I am not going to apologise to them for missing out on their lives, because I am going to endeavour that I do not—and I actually have done so, phenomenally. I have not missed things. My famous effort of going to Maddie's first day at school and missing a leadership challenge will go down in the annals of history. But I am still proud of that one: I was there on her first day of school. Mind you, now that she is 14 and we are arguing about the length of her school dress—things change rapidly!

You do not get here without the support of many people, and my children, my endearing husband, my phenomenal mother and all my many brothers and sisters have assisted me. But there are a field of people to thank: Jim Ryan, Luke Maxfield, Peter Chandler, Gabriella Perdomo, Sofia Stensholt, Sinead Mildenhal, Grace Abeykoon, Ahlam Tariq, Megan Berry, Manfred Xavier, Tom Huxom, Conrad Corry and Jacqui Tharatee, who is back in Thailand—thank you; Robert Chong, Sam Lin, Cameron Petrie, Dan Juleff, Dan Hill and Stefanie Perri; the magnificent Howard and Marie Hodgens, who go on and on and on for me; Halina Strnad; Nick Bantounis, who as always was more than generous; Jan and Cyril Kennedy, Lorie and David Werner, Lucy Chen, Marty Mei, Nancy Yang and my team of Chinese volunteers; Malcolm McDonald, Bastian Simrajh, Chris Barcham, Christine Chapel, Alan Clausen, Mark Coffey, Callum Donnelly, Ray Manning, Luke Gahan, Anne Hyde, Gary Dirks, Helen Clement, David Shulz and Janet Baker; the Australian Institute of Maritime Engineers, who are phenomenal; the National Union of Workers; the Finance Sector Union, my old employers, always there to help; Bob Stensholt and Ros Kelleher; and John and Elisabeth Lenders.

I thank, of course, my inimitable staff, Alistair, Janet, Rick, Matt, David and Liana, whose support has been unwavering over many, many years. But the people I want to thank most today are the staff who are no longer with me, Jason Leibish and Lindy Franklyn. Jason has worked for me for the last 10 years; Lindy, for the last six. Both of them, sadly, have been made redundant as I am no longer Speaker. My office now seems a lot quieter without these people. We are missing them greatly, and I love them dearly. They were the backbone of my team, but that is the stake of politics.

I also want to thank Harry Jenkins very much for his great support over my time as Speaker, and the clerks, particularly Bernard Wright—and it is lovely seeing him here today. We are about to see a changing of the guard when Bernard retires after 42 years in this establishment. That is phenomenal. I also thank Peter Stephens and Rosemary Preston, who were just phenomenal in assisting me in the Speaker's office. People do not realise how much goes on in the Speaker's office. It is not just about surviving question time; there is a lot more to it.

The staff member I want to thank most is Chris Paterson. Chris is an amazing member of this august institution but he will no longer be a member of this august institution very shortly, and I am sad about that. Chris started here back in as a Parliamentary Officer Class 5. He was employed in the committee office and cut his teeth working on the Expenditure Committee. In those days, the committee office was housed in East Block. Chris's talents were soon recognised and he was promoted to a grade 7 in less than a year. Chris had a break from parliamentary service when he worked for the Aboriginal Development Commission from 1985 to 1988. When he returned to the Department of the House of Representatives in 1988, Chris again worked in the committee office as a researcher and inquiry secretary.

Chris was and is a first-rate researcher, analyst and adviser. He was also a very deeply respected manager of staff, and a trusted and respected adviser to members. His leadership was recognised in 1999, when Chris was promoted again. All members who worked with Chris will tell you they liked and respected him. Of course, the former Speaker did refer to him as 'Boof', but I will leave it to them to explain that!

In 1999, Chris was transferred to become the Director of the Parliamentary Relations Office—again, a role he performed phenomenally well. This was a whole new area of work for Chris, but his skills and experience stood him in good stead as he mastered the intricacies of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, and the programming of incoming and outgoing delegations. I first got to know Chris when he was the secretary of my first committee, the economics committee, in this House.

Speaker David Hawker, who had seen Chris in action as a committee secretary, showed great wisdom in asking Chris to become his senior adviser in 2004. He then served Speaker Jenkins and Speaker Slipper, and I also had the privilege of having him on my staff. Chis has thus had the unique experience of working as Senior Adviser to the Speaker under Liberal, Labor and independent Speakers—a phenomenal effort.

Chris's record speaks for itself. He is an amazing individual to work with. He is a mine of information about this place. There is absolutely nothing that goes on in this place that Chris does not know about. We are about to lose one of the greatest servants of this parliament that we have had. I want to pay him the privilege and honour of saying: a very big thankyou, Christopher.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the member for Capricornia, I remind honourable members that this is her maiden speech and I ask that the usual courtesies be extended to her. I have great pleasure in calling the honourable member for Capricornia.

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a winter's day in 1969 people walked into my father's shop and held their breath. They were mesmerised, their eyes glued to a fuzzy image of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon. Dad had set up a black and white TV. He wanted to make sure that people who could not afford a television could experience the event of a generation. I learnt a lesson that day. For me it was not just witnessing history; it was witnessing yet another extraordinary gesture of unassuming generosity. My father was renowned for his generosity, like many small-business owners in country towns across this great nation. I can add to this lessons about community spirit, consideration for others and willingness to stop and listen with an open mind. I look up to the public gallery and say directly to you, Dad, that I have never forgotten the lessons I learnt from watching you in your shop—lessons which have made me who I am, lessons which have guided me on my journey here today, where I proudly stand with you in the Australian parliament to deliver my first speech. These lessons helped to form my moral beliefs and to shape my political ideals, ideals that remind me of Sir Robert Menzies and his famous speech 'The forgotten people'.

Menzies reflected on the contribution of middle-class Australians. He identified these people as the shopkeepers, farmers, skilled artisans, salary earners, professional men and women, the employers of our communities. He described them as the true backbone of the nation. I add to this list those who contribute to industrial, resource and economic production. These are all my constituents and to them I make this pledge. I pledge to facilitate the 'reawakening of Capricornia' after a decade and a half of political dormancy. I will further explore my pledge shortly.

I was not born into wealth and privilege. My journey from humble beginnings was guided by my parents, Bill and Gloria Martin, small-business owners—two of Menzies' so-called 'forgotten Australians'. For 21 years, they ran Lucky Daniels Casket Agency in William Street, Rockhampton. As a 12-year-old, I stood on a box behind the counter and wrote out casket tickets. Lucky Daniels was a place where characters stopped to yarn and to gossip about events affecting their lives. They discussed the harsh weather, the Beatles, the death of JFK and Bob Menzies, decimal currency, Vietnam, the rise of Abba, the end of Elvis and, of course, the impact that federal political decisions had on their lives.

Running a small business and raising a family is tough. My mother would cook, wash, clean and pack us off to school before heading down to Lucky Daniels to work with dad. In the afternoon, she headed home to prepare dinner and then changed into her nursing uniform to work the night shift at the base hospital. Mum, you instilled in me that characteristic of rolling up your sleeves, getting on with the job and putting others first—a trait I am using now in my journey as federal member for Capricornia. Mum and Dad, you taught me that hard work and good manners can take you to places of which you never dreamed. Today's walk through the great halls of Parliament House, past the golden framed portraits of Menzies and other great Prime Ministers, reminds me of just that.

Today, I am privileged to stand with you, in the nation's 44th parliament, as the 16th member for Capricornia since the electorate was created in 1901. I acknowledge prominent past members, like Frank Forde, the caretaker Prime Minister for eight days following the death of John Curtin, and Liberal-Country MP Charles Davidson, a cane and dairy farmer who fought with distinction in World War I and who served as a lieutenant colonel in World War II. I relate to Charles Davidson because, like me, he won the seat from a long-term ALP member. I acknowledge other National Party MPs who held this seat—Col Carige and Paul Marek.

I did not win my first campaign but, with a small team, I moved mountains to achieve an 8.4 per cent swing against the sitting member. This year, I won Capricornia with a further 4.5 per cent swing, thanks to the support of constituents seeking change.

I spoke earlier about 'reawakening' the great geographical region of Capricornia. This reawakening starts with encouraging bold vision back into our local communities; giving a voice to constituents who have been crying out for representation; urging resource companies to give preference to local workers where local jobs are being farmed out to fly-in fly-out workers from other cities;    cutting red tape to help small business prosper in town and on the land; preparing now to build a strong service sector in our rural and remote towns; and doing our darnedest to ensure those services survive when the resource sector goes through periodic downturn.

The reawakening of Capricornia will not be easy. It will take courage. It will take commitment. It will take cooperation and it will take every one of us in every corner of the electorate to be more positive, more focused, more united and more progressive in our thinking. I want to help facilitate this through positive, progressive politics. With the right political leadership, Capricornia can prosper further. With the right political representation, industry and individuals in our great region should be able to build wealth and grow their communities in harmony. With the right attitude, competing groups—employees, employers and big organisations—can work together in a spirit of cooperation, rather than being combative. If we want to reawaken our future potential, we have to consign to the dustbin of history the bitter and divisive attitudes that have failed us for so long, causing so much bitterness, conflict and divide in our big and small towns. The ugly divisiveness and political hatred separating workforce from industry and neighbour from neighbour which has, for far too long, held back Central Queensland must end on all sides. If we fail to do this, we will fail to be a progressive, forward-looking Capricornia. Our region has been wounded by divisive attitudes for far too long, dividing our local communities. Small-business owners in our small towns in Capricornia are losing money too—some as much as 30 per cent in four months. As your representative, I will do what I can to achieve a more progressive, united, vibrant Capricornia. I will put aside political differences and willingly work with industry and workers and with local, state and federal counterparts to the best of my ability to re-awaken Capricornia and to help facilitate the brighter future which people from all walks of life deserve.

I recognize that not all of my constituents voted for me. But I pledge this: if you have an issue that you want to put to government, come and talk to me. I will be working tirelessly throughout the electorate. When I am in your town, come and see me. Stop and tell me what your concerns are and what solutions you have thought about.

Australia is a big country and it is my job to remind you of the significant role that Capricornia plays in shaping our nation. Its 91,000-odd square kilometres play host to key international land and sea defence training. Regular military operations involving the United States, Australia, Singapore and other nations inject millions of dollars into local communities.

Our greater economic region is among the biggest contributors to Queensland's multibillion dollar agricultural business. There are $77 billion dollars' worth of mining projects either under construction or in the pipeline. We are the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and we export education via a 21st century intellectual industry spearheaded by CQUniversity.

We are unique, we are diverse, we are the resourceful heart of Queensland, we have skilled workers and we are open for business.

If Capricornia were served up in a restaurant, you would enjoy a multibillion dollar meal showcasing our diversity. Your menu might read: 'Crocodile medallions, from one of Queensland's premier croc farms and dusted in local bush tucker spices.' It might then offer: 'Reef and beef, featuring premium Central Queensland tiger prawns fresh from the trawler, and the world's best beef, sourced from Australia's real beef capital.' Beef is a proud and thriving industry that generates nearly $300 million dollars locally in beef meat processing alone. Our cattle industry deserves our full support, rather than the sort of random decision making we have seen from previous governments that has set the industry back. Next on our dinner menu is a course of tropical fruit desserts enhanced with natural cane sugar. We use premium cane harvested from around Sarina and West Mackay—a big player in Queensland's multibillion dollar sugar sector.

As you begin your meal, enjoy our coastal views overlooking the extraordinary islands of the Great Barrier Reef. As the sun sets, check out the mood lighting, powered by the hard yakka from Central Queensland's coalfields. In case the topic surfaces during dinner, you should know that Capricornia's resources sector is the powerhouse of Queensland. It drives the backbone of investment, employment and new regional infrastructure in Central Queensland, building our national wealth and enhancing our global significance.

Inspired dinner conversation should turn to Capricornian innovations in technology, engineering, health research and education that flow from CQUniversity Australia. The university has merged with CQ TAFE to deliver Queensland its first dual sector university, with a $300 million operating budget and 40,000 potential students.

Further dinner conversation of course turns to sport. Capricornia boasts tennis great 'Rocket' Rod Laver and Olympic champions like Kerrie and Anna Meares, Kenrick Tucker, Jamie Dwyer and many more. Key players in our business sector are backing a bid to locate an NRL team in Central Queensland, a heartland for rugby league. After dinner, stay the night at any of the region's islands and tourism resorts, which, by the way, inject $615 million and nearly 6,000 jobs into the Greater Central Queensland economy.

I have spoken briefly about reawakening Capricornia, our significance to the nation and some of the experiences that have shaped my character. Many people have walked beside me on the journey that brings me to this chamber and I want to recognise all of them. Regrettably, time does not permit me to mention each of them by name, but I want to say thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey. You helped me do a better job, you reinforced the values of mateship, you boosted my spirits and you helped me understand what needs to be done to re-awaken Capricornia.

I have already spoken of my parents. Sitting with them today are my beautiful daughters, Jessica Price and Kirstin Daniels. The lessons I have learnt from them will be just as valuable in making me a better member as they have been in helping me be a better mother. To Kirsten and Jess and Jessica's wonderful husband, Tim, I say thank you—thank you for the love and support you have given me. To my brothers, Daniel and Robert, their wives, Karen and Katie, and their extended families—I say thank you.

I particularly thank campaign director and friend, Dr Kim Bulwinkel, who drove a successful campaign across the line. Kim: mission accomplished! I acknowledge the assistance of Ken Crooke, Trish Symons, Scott Kilpatrick and Gary Kerr. To Lance Rundle, Ellen Cogill, Adrienne Jackson, John Christie and David Horton, who helped us build the LNP in Capricornia and who contributed their support—I say thank you. I also thank our committed fundraising committee—Dominic, Lance, Ellen and Ken—and all of our financial sponsors and supporters.

I sincerely thank Senator Ian Macdonald for being my mentor, friend and advisor. He encouraged me to stand for election and has stood by me on my journey. To Barnaby Joyce, who was my patron senator before the election—for all of your counsel, I say thank you. I thank Matthew Canavan, Dennis Quick, Brad Henderson and Robyn Mills for their support.

To my good friend and federal colleague, Ken O'Dowd, who taught me so much and who taught me to work with passion—I say thank you. To my state LNP counterparts—like Bruce Young and Ted Malone—I say thank you. I thank the Prime Minister and coalition leadership team for supporting Capricornia. To the wonderful LNP Central Queensland Women's Branch and the state executive—I say thank you.

To valued supporters Neil Fisher, Kylie Jackson, Dan de Soya, Mark Hiron, James McGrath, Bridie Luva, Robert Brodie and Sarah-Joy Pierce—I say thank you. And to everyone too numerous to list—I say thank you. To the ordinary people who voted for change, who put their trust in me—I say thank you. To the people who waved placards at the side of highways in the cold mornings and hot afternoons—I say thank you. To those who manned the polling booths, handed out how-to-vote cards, set up Facebook and web sites, did pre-polling and rallied behind the cause—I say thank you. And to those who were scrutineering in the days after the election—I say thank you.

To the people who took time to mingle and talk to me on the side of the road, at mining camps, in the pubs, at the races, walking the streets in our cities like West Mackay and Rockhampton, and in country towns from Collinsville to Clermont, through the Isaac and Whitsunday shires, from Dysart to Moranbah, Nebo to Sarina, Camilla, Clarke Creek and Marlborough, Emu Park to Yeppoon and everywhere in between—I say thank you. I could not have achieved this without you.

So many people in Capricornia contribute so much in so many different ways, and I want to recognise them. I recognise our unique Aboriginal culture and those who preserve and teach the history, heritage, traditions, Dreamtime culture and language of our Indigenous people. I recognise the people who work night shift—in services, emergency services, small business and mines and industry. While we sleep, they keep our economy rolling. I recognise people at the heart of our transport industries, from bus drivers to cabbies and the long-haul freight and livestock truckies that keep us moving and deliver our products.

I recognise those who work in the blazing sun—in the farm paddocks, on construction sites and in outdoor jobs. I recognise the vital contribution of small business owners—Menzies' so-called forgotten Australians—who work day and night keeping their businesses operating. Having worked in banking and in my own small bookkeeping business, I fully appreciate your commitment. I recognise the huge investment by corporations in meat processing to tourism; in mining and resources; and by developers of infrastructure. It is our small business owners and our major corporations who take the fiscal risk to invest in our region, creating jobs and commerce.

I want to also recognise the contribution of people like our police officers, teachers, nurses and others who do not earn the big wages of the resources sector but who go out with their families to live in these areas. They enrich and contribute to our country towns and help others in our communities. It might seem surprising, but I also recognise our regional media—the newspapers, local radio and TV that chronicle our daily history.

I salute our region's vast and diverse multicultural groups—people who come from far-off places; people who introduce us to new and vibrant cultures, festivals and foods and who contribute enormously to the fabric that makes up our local economy. And I recognise all those who contribute to one of the largest single employment groups in our region outside resources—workers and professionals in the health and medical sector.

Let me also acknowledge our unseen heroes in Capricornia, like our bush fire fighters, meals on wheels volunteers, our incredibly resilient State Emergency Service volunteers, sports coaches and umpires, tuckshop ladies, and marine rescue, coast guard and surf lifesaving volunteers, along with those involved with St John's, Red Cross, the Salvos, St Vincent de Paul, Anglicare and Lifeline as well as the Country Women's Association, men's sheds, the RSL, volunteer caretakers of local historical sites, Riding for the Disabled, and so many more people who generously provide their time and resources to make our community a better place to live.

I have spoken about the history of my journey and the values that I bring forward from my childhood. I have spoken about the reawakening of Capricornia and encouraging bold vision back into our communities. I have spoken about the need to put aside political hatred and bitterness, dividing our local towns. And I have recognised those who make up the social fabric, community spirit and economic drive of our region. I want to leave you with perhaps one of the most powerful lessons that will shape my life in politics. It occurred when I was fronting a media doorstop with visiting Senator Brett Mason. Photographers and TV crews were closing around us. A woman suddenly appeared in shot, swinging the carcass of a freshly plucked headless rooster. Moments earlier, she had thumped the floppy carcass on the counter of town hall, protesting bylaws that banned roosters from the city. She was promptly thrown out.

Her unexpected gatecrash into my media scrum called for some skilled diplomacy—diplomacy of which even the foreign minister would be proud. I did what I had promised throughout the campaign to do. I listened, completely. Weeks later, she stopped me in the street to report she had proudly voted for me, for one reason. 'You took the time to listen to me,' she said, 'when nobody else would hear me out.' That is my aim—to listen to the people of our community, to be familiar with every aspect of the electorate. I plan on being there for everyone who wants to see me. I thank the House.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate the member for Capricornia on her first speech. Being here is a very special honour. Despite the politics of the place, we should never lose sight of the honour that we collectively have to represent our local communities in the federal parliament. I welcome the member for Capricornia. Mr Deputy Speaker, welcome back and congratulations on your elevation to high office, and may I also extend my regards to your mother.

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you—I will pass that on.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great honour to speak in the address-in-reply debate. It is a traditional time when new and re-elected members can make wide-ranging speeches. I would like to use this opportunity primarily to thank the people of Fowler who once again have placed their trust in me to represent them in this place. I am truly humbled by the support of the individuals and organisations that make up the great electorate of Fowler, and I reiterate that I regard it as a great privilege to represent them in the federal Parliament of Australia. I came to Fowler in 2010, and, as you are aware, Mr Deputy Speaker, I previously served in the seat of Werriwa. Being new to an electorate that I was not totally familiar with, I had the opportunity to start from scratch, familiarising myself with the issues and complexities that go with an electorate as diverse as Fowler. As most members in this place are aware, Fowler is the most multicultural electorate in the whole of Australia. This electorate is certainly characterised by the colour, the diversity and the vibrancy that this brings to day-to-day life. They are things that I find truly worthwhile, and it is certainly of value to celebrate them.

However, on socioeconomic rankings, Fowler is not a rich electorate. Given the level of disadvantage, there are many challenges to improving the lives of people and families in my electorate. In the lead-up to the previous election, when I first came to Fowler, I made a commitment to represent people diligently and with determination. I also went on to identify a number of issues that I would personally commit to, and I happily committed to be judged on the way I respond to those issues. I would like to recap on those. Together with the local community and, particularly, with the former Labor government, I am proud of what we have been able to achieve. These are matters that we should take some pride in. I would like to canvass the personal commitments I made as an incoming new member into the seat of Fowler.

The first thing I promised was to be as accessible as possible to the local community, to individuals and to organisations, and to actively pursue their interests. I would like to think that the overwhelming support that I received from my community at the last election was a reflection of how I work and how I relate to the local community. The second matter I personally committed to was to bring more employment opportunities to Fowler, particularly for young people. Youth unemployment is problematic across the nation, but in Fowler it is particularly alarming when we are reaching an unemployment rate of about 30-odd per cent in some parts. This is why I sought to bring the job and skills expos to my area. On two occasions now I have held job and skills expos in Liverpool, in the middle of south-west Sydney. Earlier this year we attracted over 5,000 local job seekers. More than 370 people were directly linked to employment on that very day, and many others were able to file applications and gain employment in the weeks following.

Giving a person a job, as we all appreciate in this place, is providing someone with a future. But giving a young person an opportunity is certainly giving them the best start to their adult lives. Providing young people with the education and the skills necessary to gain employment is critical for safeguarding their future. I am very proud of the part that the former Labor government played in investing in education, skills and training. The previous Labor government's commitment to education is certainly well documented. In Fowler, $108 million of federal funding went to 115 projects benefiting 46 schools in my electorate. During my first term as the member for Fowler, the Labor government delivered a new trade training centre at the Bonnyrigg High School, which now delivers quality hospitality qualifications. We also invested $673,000 for the establishment of the new Miller Trade Training Centre at the Miller Technical High School, which will deliver education in engineering. We have also moved ahead with construction of the trade training site at the Liverpool Boys High School.

Previously, the Labor government also laid the important foundations and set approvals in process for further trade training centres across my electorate in Ashcroft High School, Cabramatta High School, Canley Vale High School; a joint centre for the Good Samaritan College, Freeman Catholic College and Mary Mackillop College; and one at James Busby High School as well as Thomas Hassall Anglican College. The Labor government put a lot into investing in the kids, not just into those pursuing academic education but also into those who want to go on to pursue vocational education training. That is something that is of critical importance to the area I represent, which wants to break the culture of unemployment.

It is going to be a question now of whether this new government—the Abbott government—will honour the same commitment to education and technical education. We will fight very hard to maintain the commitment to education because it is a commitment not simply to kids and to families; it is a commitment to this nation's future.

When it comes to education, this week alone speaks volumes. We have seen the debacle of a backflip with pike when it comes to education funding. We have seen the whole concept of Gonski being thrown around the chamber like it is just another colloquial term, without appreciating the underpinning values of what that Gonski review means for kids for the future.

The third issue I wanted to touch upon, which is one I certainly can personally relate to, is the issue of domestic violence occurring in our community. I promised, when I first went to Fowler, that I would continue to raise awareness for the fight against this most appalling blight on our society. In last week's sitting, as you will recall, Mr Deputy Speaker, I moved a motion in this place drawing further attention to White Ribbon Day, which was on 25 November. It is absolutely inexcusable that, in a modern, thriving society such as ours, we still face the staggering statistic that one in three women will become a victim of violence in their lifetime, and one in five will be a victim of sexual violence. The majority of this violence, regrettably, occurs at home. The other staggering statistic, and one that really should resonate with everybody, is that the reality is that one woman dies each week in this country as a consequence of domestic violence.

This has got to stop. We who occupy positions of community leadership in this country must make it a priority to commit to stop domestic violence. I strongly urge all men, not only in my electorate but across the nation, to take the oath and swear never to commit, never to excuse and never to remain silent when it comes to violence against women.

It is an unfortunate fact that this style of violence is widespread, but it particularly impacts on areas of disadvantage and some of the culturally diverse communities as well. Often there is a lack of understanding of domestic violence as well as a lack of knowledge across some of the communities regarding the legal rights of victims and the ability to report to police and also trust in police to prosecute these issues. These are things that must be addressed within our communities. I think that within our sphere of influence we have a positive role to play in that.

I will also continue to work to support local organisations like the Bonnie Women's Refuge; Sistas for Sistas, a local Aboriginal organisation addressing violence against women in their community; and also our migrant resource centres; together with our police, who make a sterling effort, particularly when it comes to violence. One of the things that I know from our local police is that, in areas such as Green Valley, Liverpool and Cabramatta, more than 50 per cent of the police work in those communities is associated with domestic violence, and the vast majority of that is violence against women. There is certainly a story to be told about that, but anyone in authority, in a position of leadership, should be moving to draw attention to this blight on our society.

When I became the member for Fowler, given my background and probably a little bit of what I have just said, I also committed to work very closely with and support the work of our police, who do such a brave and commendable job in protecting our community. As you are aware, Mr Deputy Speaker, I have had a long track record of working with police, apart from representing many police officers for many, many years prior to coming to this place and also being the son of a New South Wales police officer. I have great respect for the work that they do for the safety of our communities, at times putting their own lives at risk. They make a huge change for the better of our communities. They are brave men and women with a special type of courage who wear the police uniform. They cop a lot of criticism, but I think we should always stop to acknowledge the good work that they do. Fortunately, very few of us will ever experience the dangers that they are prepared to face on a daily basis to protect our communities.

In relation to the issue of community safety and law enforcement, this government has not got off to a great start, particularly when we look at issues of community safety in my own communities of Cabramatta and around Fairfield. I know that the shadow minister at the table, the member for McMahon, will probably resonate with this. Fairfield City Council, together with the Cabramatta Chamber of Commerce, were successful recently in being awarded a $300,000 grant to facilitate the monitoring of CCTV cameras in Cabramatta, Canley Vale and Canley Heights. The former Labor government allocated this funding through the National Crime Prevention Fund. This is a fund which effectively takes money from criminal assets and puts it into community safety projects, so this is a very, very good thing to do. I am assured by the police, including the Cabramatta Local Area Command, that the presence of CCTV cameras and live monitoring would greatly facilitate their job—which is already pretty tough as it is—of suppressing crime in our area.

By way of background: Cabramatta 14 to 15 years ago was the heroin capital of Australia. It was the firearms exchange for the nation. It was only through intensive policing, community engagement and the deployment of emerging technologies at that stage, such as monitored CCTV, that the crime rate in this area plummeted. When that plummeted, community safety obviously went up. Pride in the area went up, and it became an area where people enjoyed being able to socialise and enjoyed being able to live. The police did a fantastic job on our behalf because the community backed them.

Simply taking this money away and depriving the police now of monitored CCTV in this area once again invites the re-emergence of street crime and other antisocial behaviour. We in this place never should put ourselves forward as being law enforcement experts. We should take advice from those on the ground, and their advice when it came to this particular issue was overwhelming. I ask the minister to reconsider the position when it comes to looking at the allocation of funds from the National Crime Prevention Fund to projects of community safety such as what was proposed for the streets of Cabramatta.

Finally, in 2010, when I became the member for Fowler, I committed to dedicate much of my time to supporting organisations that look after the disadvantaged in my community, including the homeless, the elderly and, in particular, those living with disabilities. These organisations play a vital part in our community, particularly in communities of need, such as mine. My electorate is overrepresented, regrettably, with people who live with disabilities. It is a fact that over half the families in New South Wales that live with autism live within a 20-kilometre radius of the Liverpool CBD.

Over the past three years I have conducted a number of disability forums in Fowler to identify and address issues in my community from those living with or caring for and supporting people with disabilities. These forums were designed to bring people with disabilities, carers and service providers together to create a strong local network for supporting disability. The forums also gave people an opportunity to provide their views on the direction for our nation should take on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The NDIS—and I think everyone in this place realises this—will benefit all members of our communities who live with disabilities, and this is one of the most vital reforms to come through the former Labor government.

I now intend to put much of my energy into what we need to do to hold this government to account and to shine light on the inconsistencies between the promises that were made before the election and what is being delivered, because this is not the government that people thought they were electing. Since the election on 7 September 2013, Mr Abbott has gone about putting almost a brick wall around this government to avoid public scrutiny. Far from the claim of being a 'measured, steady and purposeful government that says what it means and does what it says', this government instead has stumbled on every vital issue of public policy so far. It is not the government he promised it was going to be. While in opposition they railed against debt and during the election they campaigned against a supposed 'budget emergency', but we now see they are making an agreement with the Greens for unlimited supply of debt which will deprive this place of having any view about debt ceilings in the future. If debt was the issue for them, how can more debt now be the answer? They simply want to avoid scrutiny. That is probably why they did it.

When you look at the other major turn arounds, the other biggest issue in the lead up to the last election was border protection. Gone now is the rhetoric of 'we are going to turn the boats around'; gone is the 'we are going to buy the boats'; and gone is the 'we are going to pay for Indonesian informants' on the movement of boats. The only thing that occurs now is a media blackout. The truth of the matter is that we learn more from the Jakarta Post than we learn from the minister in this parliament. I should have thought that is something that should concern every member who wants open disclosure about border protection, but apparently not.

On the issue of school funding we have seen a lot occur this week—

Ms O'Dwyer interjecting—

No member opposite can possibly want to interject on this, because they must have been stunned by the double backflip with pike on school funding. How is it that we can now sign cheques to states and say there are no strings attached? They are not even committing state or territory governments to matching funding on a two-for-one basis. The strings have gone. This is not a government that wants to be held to account. (Time expired)

Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for Dobell, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech and I ask the House to extend her the usual courtesies. I have much pleasure in calling the member for Dobell.

Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. As I rise to speak on this occasion as the member for Dobell, I sincerely thank the electors of Dobell for this opportunity and I acknowledge the honour and privilege bestowed upon me. To represent the people of Dobell is an honour, as I am only the fourth person, second Liberal and first female in the seat's history to have been given this esteemed privilege. To my constituents, my pledge to you is: I honour my commitment to represent you with integrity and conviction and I will be your strong voice at the table of government.

Dobell is situated on the New South Wales Central Coast and is named after the Australian artist William Dobell. Bound by the Pacific Ocean in the east, Dobell covers an area of approximately 775 square kilometres, which includes the main commercial townships of The Entrance, Tuggerah and Wyong. The electorate is a network of towns that have been linked in recent years by expanding suburban development. Stretching from Blue Haven in the north to Wyoming and Wamberal in the south, from The Entrance in the east through to the Yarramalong and Dooralong Valleys in the west, the electorate of Dobell is a popular tourist and retiree destination. I note that Madam Speaker has come into the chamber. Madam Speaker, I congratulate you on your election to the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives and I thank you in your capacity as the member for MacKellar for the support and assistance you afforded me during the election campaign. Over the last decade, Dobell has also become a popular residential area for young families, due to relative home and land affordability.

Dobell has a rich and colourful history. Prior to European settlement, the area was home to the Guringai and Darkinjung people, and I acknowledge and respect their kinship with the land and environment. It is believed the area was first discovered by Europeans in 1796, when the governor of Tasmania, Colonel David Collins, came across Tuggerah Lakes during the search for an escaped convict, the infamous Molly Morgan. Early European settlement occurred at Wyoming, when in 1824 Frederick Hely purchased land, adjacent to Narara Reserve. Hely named the land after reading a poem about the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania. The US state of Wyoming was named many, many years later than Dobell's Wyoming.

A notable resident of Dobell was Edward Hargraves from Noraville, a gold prospector who is credited with starting the first Australian gold rush in 1851. Hargraves' lasting legacy to the electorate is not his reputation as a gold prospector, his legacy is the Norah Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse was the last significant lighthouse built in New South Wales, completed in 1903 with monetary assistance and much lobbying from Hargraves. Over the years the lighthouse guided mariners as they made the dangerous voyage between Sydney and Newcastle. Unfortunately, not all have been saved. The coast of Dobell witnessed the tragedy of war, with the sinking of two merchant vessels, the Nimbin and the Iron Chieftain, one struck by a German mine and the other torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Today the Norah Head lighthouse remains an iconic image of our community, its beacon symbolising the shining light of hope for the people of Dobell.

Dobell is an electorate of contrast—contrast between the natural beauty of coastal and mountain terrain, contrast between aspirational Australians and those less fortunate. The people of Dobell represent the foundation upon which the Liberal Party was established. When Sir Robert Menzies spoke of the forgotten people in his famous 1942 speech, the middle class of 1942 he referred to remains today the foundation of our great nation. They are the backbone of Dobell.

After six years of lack of formal representation in Dobell, the people of Dobell became the forgotten people. Now that Dobell has been brought back into the Liberal fold, I am determined as the member to see my electorate placed back on the map for all the right reasons.

I acknowledge the previous Liberal member for Dobell, Ken Ticehurst, and thank Ken for his service to the Dobell community. The coalition government and Liberal representation will return pride to our community, a community we have much to be proud of, a community deserving of credibility and respect, a community deserving of opportunity and investment.

I do not and will not underestimate the challenge ahead as the member for Dobell. My dreams and aspirations are no different to those of many people living in my electorate. We want stable jobs that provide meaningful work that allows us to take out long-term investments in our homes and in our future. We want the same for our children. A stronger economy is the key to almost everything we wish for as a community. It means more jobs, higher wages, better services and ultimately a stronger and more cohesive community.

I want to see Dobell prosper. I want to see a region that offers increased local employment and attracts quality investment opportunities, a region home to a vibrant and healthy community, well supported and connected through coordinated services and infrastructure. With an anticipated population growth in our region of an additional 100,000 people by 2031, the greatest challenge for my electorate is to create approximately 45,000 new local job opportunities. Unfortunately, we currently fall well short on providing the employment choices demanded by our broader population, with approximately 38,000 commuters leaving the region on a daily basis to seek work in other regions.

I am all too aware of the tremendous burden placed on the majority of our working population, which has to commute, spending on average five hours travelling to and from work daily. I understand and have firsthand experience of the social and economic pressure this places on the many commuting households of Dobell. My two sons, Kevin and Cameron, face the reality that they may have to either commute or move to Sydney to find employment. My children are no different to the other tens of thousands of young people on the Central Coast. I know what this means to families, for parents to want jobs for their children and for parents to want to work closer to their children during the day. Unfortunately, we face considerable challenges addressing these needs. With a daily exodus of commuters, I acknowledge the need for our region to develop sustainable jobs within strong industries, be it tourism, manufacturing or otherwise.

On current figures, our region's unemployment rate is well above the national average. While this alone is cause for concern, it is when you place the search for employment into the broader picture that the true level of challenges are realised. As a government, our responsibility to the people of Dobell is to adopt policy that encourages prosperity, not withholds it, and to invest in the electorate wisely, consistent with the values and needs of our constituents. The only real and lasting way to strengthen the Dobell economy is to develop more opportunities for residents to work.

Small business is the engine room of the Central Coast economy. Collectively, small business is the largest employer on the Central Coast. Dobell has 3,980 employing businesses. Only 24 of these businesses employ more than 200 people. This not only highlights our dependence on small business as an employment generator; it exposes our risk within a fragile economy. We cannot have a strong and healthy society without a strong economy to sustain it, and we would not have a strong economy without profitable businesses.

Government does not create jobs; government does not produce wealth. Business creates jobs; business produces wealth. My experience in developing and implementing compliance programs for a government regulator provided me with firsthand knowledge of the impact of regulation and cost of compliance on business. To the small business operators of Dobell, I acknowledge your hard work and the sacrifice that each of you make. I have listened to you when you have told me that, in order to grow, to become more productive and ultimately to create more job opportunities, you need assistance by reducing regulatory burden.

Red and green tape is choking the life out of the engine room of our economy. I welcome Her Excellency the Governor-General's encouragement of the government's intention to cut red tape costs on businesses and community groups by $1 billion a year. I welcome the government's commitment to repeal the carbon tax and mining tax.

I want to see Dobell become the place of choice for attracting new businesses by providing vibrant and growing centres. I recognise the need for new centres, such as the Warnervale Town Centre, and the revitalisation of The Entrance, which will provide new business opportunities, local jobs and housing for the region's growing population.

When we talk about providing local jobs, the reality is that we cannot always provide the dream job for people in Dobell. Therefore, we must ensure that the commute is safe and easy and that we reduce travel times. A vital piece of economic infrastructure to reduce travel times is the M1 to M2 link. I am proud that the coalition government will build the missing M1 to M2 link.

We all want jobs for our families; we want to be able to provide hope, reward and opportunity to our children, siblings, nieces and nephews. We owe it to the young people of Dobell to plan for future skills. Our full-time unemployment rate for young people alarmingly exceeds the national average. Being a parent of two young men and having spoken to many families in the same situation, it is clear to me that our electorate lacks the necessary opportunities to retain our young workforce. Our region unfortunately experiences a high migration of our 19- to 29-year-olds seeking opportunity outside the region. The decision of our young people to relocate is never made lightly. The inevitable exodus means that we lose tomorrow's workforce and future leaders to metropolitan areas, where there are substantially more opportunities. For many of our young people, access to higher education remains a substantial barrier to employment. In Dobell only 50 per cent of secondary students obtain year 12 qualifications and only 14 per cent of people aged 17 to 22 are currently participating in higher education. There is no instant fix.

I recognise the importance of working closely with local education and employment providers to identify at-risk youth, to provide them with pathways to increase both educational outcomes and employment opportunities. It is crucial that we adopt a coordinated approach to delivering government funding and programs that are geared towards addressing these issues.

In Dobell there are many organisations striving to assist young people to complete their education, identifying further training opportunities, including apprenticeship and trainee programs, and often simply instilling belief in a young person that they can have a prosperous future. I support the partnering with businesses and training organisations to develop quality training options linked to employment opportunities.

My commitment to provide opportunity to our young people is demonstrated in the government's investment in the development of the local youth skills and employment centres at Tuggerah and Wyong. These facilities and effective programs will lead to greater training opportunities and future local job creation, resulting in a local highly skilled workforce.

With substantial growth forecast in the north of my electorate, it is vitally important we start planning for our children's educational future today. I believe every child is entitled to access quality education. I support improving academic standards to provide young people with the education they need to succeed. However, higher standards will mean absolutely nothing unless we provide our tertiary institutions, schools and students with the resources and the support necessary to meet their needs. The quality of education our children receive is directly related to the quality of support for teachers and schools. I will fight to invest more resources in schools and live up to the promise of education reform, including provision of adequate resources to meet requirements for special-needs students to ensure children with disabilities receive the support and services they require.

We are blessed in Dobell with a beautiful natural environment which attracts thousands of tourists each year. For many years the Central Coast was a popular weekend holiday destination for Sydneysiders seeking a short break away from home. Today our tourism embodies the struggles we face as a region. Tourism underpins our small-business economy, with many businesses solely reliant on the warmer summer months to provide an income to last them all year. The township of The Entrance remains our prime tourist destination, hosting events such as the country music festival and Chromefest. However, these events are not enough to sustain our local economy throughout the year. It is therefore important that we promote our best asset—our natural environment.

Promotion of Tuggerah Lakes is crucial to our fledgling tourism industry; unfortunately, rapid urban development has impacted on the quality of this valuable natural resource. This is why I am committed to ensuring the restoration of the lakes to their former natural glory through securing funding for vital restoration works.

Dobell is home to the most beautiful beaches in New South Wales, which are the No. 1 drawcard for tourists to our region over the summer months. Ensuring the safety of the many beachgoers are the men and women of Surf Life Saving Central Coast, who risk their lives season after season ensuring safety on our beaches. I am proud to support Surf Life Saving Central Coast and to congratulate them on 75 years of service to our community.

Whilst renowned for its natural beauty, Dobell is home to a strong sporting community that many other regions would be envious of. The people of Dobell have a passion for sport which is evidenced in the many outstanding achievements of our sports men and women. I acknowledge the importance of voluntary effort and voluntary organisations and commend the many Dobell sporting clubs and volunteers for their commitment and dedication in providing opportunity to the thousands of registered players who participate across the electorate in their chosen sport.

Through my association with my local community, I am proud to have actively supported sporting community groups, such as the Warnervale Rugby Club, in establishing opportunities for young people in the Warnervale area. I also acknowledge and recognise the importance of the provision of quality sporting venues and benefits of sports tourism. I am committed to ensuring that Dobell will emerge as the sports tourism capital of New South Wales. Our election commitment to commence crucial land acquisition and planning studies for the Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreational Complex at Tuggerah will lead to the development of a premier sports facility on the Central Coast.

As a Liberal, I believe in Australia, its people and its future. I believe in what the Liberal Party represents, in its values, in its beliefs and that good government is based on the individual and that each person's ability, dignity, freedom and responsibility must be honoured and recognised. My strong belief in these values is the reason I joined the Liberal Party. I am proud to be recognised as a Liberal in my community.

My family and I are proud to be part of the Dobell community, a community we have called home for nearly 15 years, a community that welcomed us when we, like so many other families, relocated to the Central Coast to provide our children a healthy and affordable lifestyle.

I was 10 years old when I arrived in Australia with my parents and brother Hugh. Never in my wildest dreams as a child growing up in north-east England would I have envisaged that, one day, I would hold the honour of being an elected member of the Australian parliament. Australian citizenship afforded me with opportunity, opportunity I will always honour and respect.

I grew up in Emu Plains, which back in the mid-1970s was as far west as you could go. It was an idyllic childhood, spending summers swinging off Tarzan ropes across the Nepean River. It was a childhood without responsibility or care. When it came time to leave school after completing year 12 I, like so many of my generation, had a choice: you left school on the Friday and commenced work with either a bank or the Public Service on the Monday. How times have changed. I joined the Public Service.

I am proud of my career with the Public Service. It is a service that taught me the values of discipline, transparency and accountability. The role of public servants should never be understated: we are solicitors, accountants, managers and policy experts. During my career I held senior management roles in various New South Wales government departments, roles and experiences that have equipped me well for the position I now hold, the highest form of public service one can aspire to: member of the Australian parliament.

Early in my career I realised the importance of tertiary education. I thank my good friend Denis Shultz for his support in encouraging me to study law. Law is a discipline that has served me well. My first legal position was as a litigation officer with the State Rail Authority of New South Wales. It was a role that, whilst fulfilling, taught me humility and empathy, as I spent many hours preparing coronial briefs and assisting before the Coroner's Court of New South Wales. A highlight of my career with the State Rail Authority was my appointment as a senior officer. It was in this role, as an area manager with Trackfast, that I met my husband, John, to whom I owe so much. He has stood beside me throughout this journey, supporting me and encouraging me to believe in myself. To my wonderful husband: I thank you for your eternal optimism, support and encouragement.

In the mid-1990s John and I returned to the UK with our young family. During this time, raising two young sons in London and Edinburgh, not a day went by when I did not think about Australia and look forward to returning to Australian shores. The experience of residing overseas made me more appreciative of this beautiful nation and great democracy of ours. It is a nation that affords opportunity to all, without prejudice of class, education or gender. Australia is truly the lucky country and we should never take this great nation of ours for granted.

I am sincerely grateful to my parents for the wise decision they made to emigrate to Australia. It was a decision made in search of a better future and opportunity, a decision that made me who I am today.

In life we are presented with different roads to follow and we encounter many detours along the way. One road I chose, the road of politics, definitely presented many detours and, if drawing an analogy to the roads in Dobell, there were plenty of potholes.

Before I acknowledge those who provided their support to the Dobell campaign, I would like to pay tribute to a good friend and Liberal colleague Lisa Maree, who, sadly, passed away prior to the election campaign. Lisa Maree was not only a friend and colleague, she was a valued member of the Dobell community. Lisa Maree: our achievements in Dobell are for you.

Without the support and friendship of many I would not be here today, and to you all I am eternally grateful. To my wonderful family—my husband John and son Kevin, who are in the gallery today, and son Cameron, who is in London representing New South Wales Country Rugby Union—thank you for your unconditional love and support. Thank you to my parents, Hugh and Jane, who taught me self-reliance and self-responsibility. To my best friend Karen and her husband Tony: thank you for your friendship and support. Thank you to Teena McQueen for her entertaining campaign style and critique and to Aileen Wiessner for her friendship and wise counsel.

Our result in Dobell and achievement of the second-highest swing in New South Wales would not have been possible without the assistance of many. While the list is long and time does not permit me to list everyone, to each and every one of you: I sincerely thank you from my heart. You know who you are and the contribution you made to a better Dobell.

While I am indebted to the hundreds of people who assisted in the campaign, I wish to acknowledge those who were with me every day of our 18-month campaign. My sincere thanks to my campaign manager, Luke Nayna, whose birthday it is today, and to Susan and Brian Elliott, Andrew Gregory, and Tracey and Brian Perrem, who gave so much of their time to assist in doorknocking over 22,000 homes, assist at street stalls and stand with me greeting commuters at 5.30 am. My sincere thanks to Brian Loughnane, Mark Neeham and the team at New South Wales state secretariat. Thank you to the members of the Dobell FEC branches, Terrigal branch, Mackellar FEC, the Young Liberals and former member for Robertson the Hon. Jim Lloyd. I acknowledge the support from my state parliamentary and Wyong Shire colleagues and thank them for their assistance. Thank you to Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who provided support, friendship and encouragement, and to Senator Arthur Sinodinos, a true champion of the Central Coast, who provided hours of support, guidance and commitment throughout the campaign. My sincere thanks to the Prime Minister for his support and for placing his trust in me. And thank you to the many now government ministers and to former Prime Minister John Howard for sharing my vision for Dobell and belief in the people of Dobell.

A wise man once said, 'There is no limit to what Australia can achieve.' I conclude by congratulating and thanking the individuals who were not fazed by the challenge of Dobell and believed there was and is no limit to what we can achieve in Dobell.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for Robertson, who will be giving her maiden speech, I would like to acknowledge Mr Ken Ticehurst, a former member for Dobell, and Mr Jim Lloyd, a former member for Robertson, who are both present. I ask that members extend to the member for Robertson the same courtesies as we have throughout the maiden speeches and as we have just done for the member for Dobell.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, entering St Christopher's Cathedral in Canberra for the ecumenical service on the morning of the historic opening of the 44th Parliament of Australia, I was struck by a sense of the magnificent responsibility and privilege carried by each of us elected to serve our communities and our nation. In that moment, and for just a moment, partisan politics was subsumed by tradition and the greater call on each of our lives, articulating our purpose, our history and our hopes for Australia. As we walked back outside after that service, a sense of my own history meshed with the present, as I recalled an old photograph of my parents on their wedding day, standing in the same place outside the same cathedral in Canberra, and their own sense of purpose, hope and future captured in time by the camera's lens.

My father was a teacher and our family lived in various places around New South Wales: Canberra, Cowra, Walcha, Gosford. But it did not seem to matter where we lived, because our nation's capital was also our family's capital, centring as it did around my grandparents, Raymond and Mary-Ellen Gilligan, their six children and 20 grandchildren. Many Gilligans are here in the gallery today, and I thank them for it.

I remember listening to my relatives debating current affairs and politics in grandma's lounge room, while arguing as to whose turn it was to make the next cup of tea. My grandmother, who everyone called Molly, was a wonderful role model to her daughters and granddaughters. She encouraged us to pursue our dreams—but not always our political views. Her greatest political hero was Paul Keating and her arch enemy was my own hero, the then Prime Minister John Howard. I owe a great debt to Molly, because the back and forth of our debates over a cup of tea and a biscuit gave me opportunities to test and sharpen my ideas and political beliefs against a passionate and committed advocate of political thought.

My family's background is a bit of a mix: on the one side, my great-grandmother, Ellen-Mary, was a Cullen, whose forebears were sent by Cardinal Cullen to Australia from Ireland to help establish Catholic schooling in New South Wales; on the other, my great-great-grandfather, Francis Gilligan, was sent out as a convict from Ireland to Australia in 1848. Francis’ crime was a political one, known as a 'whiteboy' offence. He sought justice for Irish labouring families, including his own, by fighting poverty brought about by the Great Potato Famine and an economic system that favoured wealthy Irish landowners at the expense of the poor. But with no democratic or parliamentary means of righting a wrong, it would seem, Francis took matters into his own hands and threw fire onto the thatched roof of a local magistrate's home. Something of Francis' stubborn streak and railing against perceived injustice has been passed down through the generations. I do hope, that as the great-great-granddaughter of a political rebel and a missionary, I can bring the best of both perspectives: concern for fairness and a desire for a principled approach to public policy debate, with perhaps just the odd, occasional verbal fireball thrown in for good measure.

My father is a farmer's son from Dubbo. His parents, Rae and Joyce Warren, were strong, stoic and hardworking and fostered strength and resilience in each of their three children. It is a trait that I hope will continue through the generations. My parents, Max and Mary Warren, who are in the gallery today, encouraged each of us to do our best and to become our best. From my father, I learnt the value of hard work, of integrity, of standing up for what you believe in—even at great personal cost—of not cutting corners, of the importance of family and people and of a genuine and deep love for our God.

My mother nurtured in me and modelled for me compassion and empathy towards others, an appreciation of beauty and music and a passion for truth and tenacity, despite any circumstance. Both are well known locally for their many decades of service to the Central Coast in education and in ministry. Today, I pay them tribute. I am Max and Mary's daughter, and proud to be so.

There is no suburb in the electorate of Robertson that is not without its unique character and environment. Its beauty is breathtaking: Killcare Beach, the sunsets at Niagara Park going over the hill, sunrise on Brisbane Water when the first rays hit the Lady Kendall moored at Gosford, Lisarow's rural acreages, the waves and surf at Avoca Beach, the Peninsula's stunning waterways and its wildlife, and Terrigal’s welcoming atmosphere.

Robertson is a Federation seat, named in honour of Sir John Robertson, who served as the Premier of New South Wales five times between 1860 and 1886. Unlike my firebrand ancestor, Francis Gilligan, Sir John Robertson worked within the established 19th century economic and democratic structures to campaign tirelessly for land reform, breaking the monopoly of the establishment squatters to open up more opportunities for smaller farmers in New South Wales. His achievements enabled more farmers to pursue individual enterprise and productivity.

My uncle, Paul Gilligan, is also in the gallery today. A firebrand himself, and a keen advocate for a fair go for small-business people, Paul and his family have been tremendous supporters throughout my whole life and especially during the campaign. I thank you.

People in Robertson live in the best place in the world. But the heartbeat of the Central Coast is its people and their concerns, their hopes and their dreams. When you visit Ettalong Beach, or pick up a newspaper at the local newsagents in Kincumber, or shop in Erina, or do business in Umina or catch an early morning train from Gosford Station, you will hear and perhaps even join the conversations that happen every day around Robertson that articulate people’s aspirations for our community.

You will hear a passion to see our city grow and thrive. You will be inspired by a determination to tackle the current challenges that we face with the rising cost of living, the lack of local employment opportunities—especially with small businesses doing it tough on the Central Coast at the moment—with one in four young people who want to work unable find employment opportunities locally, and with 30,000 to 40,000 commuters who leave early in the morning to Sydney or Newcastle and return home late at night because their job opportunities take them away from their families. You will hear in these conversations that these challenges do not have to be permanent markers of life on the Central Coast.

It is the dreams, the aspirations and the ambitions of people living in Robertson that have become my own. My commitment to them is to fight, with every fibre of my being, for a future where more choice and more opportunity abound. The experience of my husband, Chris, who in the 17 years we have been married has never been able to work locally, and whose round trip commute takes over four hours a day, does not have to be the future experience of my four-year-old son, Oscar, or three-year-old daughter, Mollie-Joy.

I look forward to the day when Coasties no longer have leave for Sydney or Newcastle or anywhere else in the world to find the sort of economic, career, educational or other advancement opportunities they may want, because they will find them here: in Gosford, in Woy Woy, in West Gosford, in Erina and in Somersby.

As a young girl growing up in Point Clare in the mid- to late-eighties, I well remember the impact a federal Labor government's fiscal policies had on my own family. The eldest of five kids in a largely single-income family, I have never forgotten some of the everyday struggles we had to make ends meet in the days of interest rate numbers that reached the high teens; of selling my mother's prized possession, her piano; of working with Dad several mornings every week to deliver pamphlets and papers before school and on weekends to help pay the bills. We got through, and I learnt a lot about the value of hard work and good budgeting—but I also learnt a lot about the positive impact of a strong economy, lower taxes and easing the burden of the cost of living.

That is why I am proud to join this parliament as a representative of the Liberal Party, a party that has always championed reward for hard work and effort, respect for individual enterprise, concern for families and a belief in a better future for all. After all, if a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Narara who aspired to represent her local community as the member for Robertson one day can achieve her dream, all of us can. So now, Madam Speaker, may my dream be to achieve my electorate's dreams.

I acknowledge and express appreciation for her service to our community, to my predecessor Deborah O'Neill, now serving as a Labor Senator in another place. I also express appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the people of Robertson for electing me to serve as their 14th representative in this place. To each one I pledge to stand up, every single day, to champion your concerns, your aspirations and your hopes for the benefit of every family, every business owner and every individual in my electorate who knows that things can be better tomorrow than they are today.

I first joined the Liberal Party in my mid-twenties because I wanted to make a difference in my community, especially for young people as a teacher. Young people are the future of our nation. I know the value of a decent education. It is an enabler of achievement and opportunity, and it breaks the shackles of narrow thinking and limited experience. Of course, freedom of choice in education is fundamental to achieving this goal. I know that, in choosing to send all five children to a Christian school, my parents made great personal and financial sacrifices in order to be able to exercise that choice.

But education goes beyond schools, universities and vocational education colleges. One of the challenges I see in today's society is a trend of allowing the responsibility for raising children and imparting strong social and ethical values and mores to shift, however subtly, from our family and community structures to institutional ones. It is not a school or pre-school's job to raise our children; it is ours, as parents, and our responsibility as legislators is to promote the best possible policies that protect and strengthen the role of families and provides the best possible outcomes for the future of our young Australians. So I welcome the coalition government's commitment to more flexible, affordable and accessible child care. We want our system of child care to provide a safe, nurturing environment for children in a way that also reflects the working needs of today's families and today's economy.

Travel down to Sydney from Woy Woy or Narara any morning of the week and you will hear on the train story after story about the challenges Central Coast families face juggling work and raising a young family. You will hear about people like Amy, from East Gosford, who shared with me recently her difficult decision to not return to her old job in Sydney after having her second child, because the opening hours at her long-day care centre could not cater for evening pick-ups; or the young mother I spoke with when I was shopping at my local supermarket in Erina, who raised the difficulties she encounters juggling evening shift work with child care, especially during those weeks when her husband is away from home. As a working parent myself, I know the benefits that a more flexible and accessible approach will bring.

As a Liberal, I know that any additional flexibility in applying the Child Care Rebate will not only provide more options for in-home care or out-of-hours care, it will also enable more families in Robertson to make decisions about how their child is cared for and by whom. It is for this reason that I pause for a moment to reflect on the bedrock of Australian society: the family. I believe that smaller government favours families and that the best way to strengthen marriages and families is to empower individuals to take personal responsibility for their own choices and to equip them with as many tools and services that may help them to make the best decisions possible for their future, for their children's future and for our nation's future. But, in recent times, the public-policy debate about families has been superseded by a philosophical tussle about the definition of marriage, when what we really ought to be concerned about is how we can strengthen families. After all, it is the family, not the government, that should be the prime institution for fostering the values on which our great society is built. There are more than 36,000 families in my electorate of Robertson, and almost 20 per cent of them are single-parent households. I know that many families on the Coast struggle with the cost of living, with job security, with the challenge of commuting and with child care, so I am proud to be part of a strong coalition government that will reduce cost-of-living pressures for families, ease pressure on interest rates, deliver affordable and flexible child care, and create more employment and education opportunities in my electorate of Robertson. By supporting our families, in whatever form they may take, as the most fundamental institution for the development of the individual, we are taking care of our nation's future.

As the former president of an outstanding organisation in the Liberal Party, the Liberal Women's Council, New South Wales, I am a passionate advocate of seeing more women take their place in positions of leadership and influence around our world. The very fact that our culture and our history can allow for this means we should seize every opportunity to promote women on the basis of merit, which is more than many societies and cultures allow for today.

May I join the chorus of congratulations that has echoed around this chamber and pay tribute to you, Madam Speaker, for your elevation to your high office. It is truly befitting your many years of service to Australia, and I add my good wishes and gratitude to those you have already received from my colleagues. You may be 'Madam Speaker' now, but for many years you were Bronwyn Bishop, the articulate political advocate and warrior whom I admired from afar. In recent years, I have come to know you as 'Bronwyn', and I thank you, Bronwyn, for your support, your advice, your mentoring and your trailblazing so many firsts in your political career—all of them on merit.

We fought a long and tough election battle to win the hearts and minds of the people of Robertson. It was only made possible by the support of so many people that I grew up with, people I worked with and passionate Liberal Party supporters keen to deliver the change that people told us every day they so desperately wanted—change that we were determined to deliver. Every person helped us made a difference, and without you I would not be standing here today. I pay tribute to my campaign manager, Bob Mudge, and to my deputy campaign manager and friend, Chantelle Fornari-Orsmond, who both worked tirelessly and passionately every single day to build a strong and committed team of volunteers around us. To my local Liberal Party conference, led by Bob Ward: thank you for your dedication to the Liberal cause and to winning Robertson. To the Hon. Jim Lloyd, the former Liberal member for Robertson for many years : thank you for your service and leadership in our community.

Thank you to the hundreds of loyal volunteers, including Margaret Watson, Colin Marchant, Colin Wood, Lois Marshall, Bev Ferrier, Andrew Clark, Hannah Eves, Tom Raine, Suzanne Hunter, Liz Reynolds, Godfrey Franz, Todd Kirby, Teresa Giddings, Yvonne Crestani, Sam Moulder, Julian Harniman, Bruce Richards, Steve Foley, Jack Morrison, Jackson Black, Mary Doherty, Pam Collins, Barbara Whittaker, Richard Keogh, Ben Potts, Sara More, Louise de Martin, Alan Draper, Deb Warwick, Mark Porter, Lachie Carr, Justin French, Malcolm and Patricia Brooks, and Amy and Tobias Lehman. And to our friends and supporters in the Liberal Women's Council and also in the Bradfield, Mackellar and Mitchell conferences: I will always be in your debt and at your service.

To each of the 150 people in the gallery today: thank you for what you have done and for making the trip to Canberra this morning. Thank you to Julius Chen and Taylor Gramoski for spending countless hours supporting me in the last weeks of the campaign. To the Young Liberal Flying Squad, led by Joshua Crawford and Taylor Gramoski: thank you both for your passion, diligence and outstanding resolve to flood our streets every weekend with dozens and sometimes hundreds of Young Liberal volunteers, balloons and t-shirts.

To Peta Credlin; to Michelle Moffatt; and to Mark Neeham, Aaron Henry, Aileen Weissner, Alicia McCumstie and the team at Liberal Party CHQ: I thank you for your professionalism, your support and the outstanding work you did throughout the campaign. To 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones: thank you for your commitment and drive in seeking a better future for the Central Coast.

To former Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard: thank you for your lifetime of championing the Liberal cause and for your personal support throughout the campaign. To Prime Minister Tony Abbott: thank you for your outstanding leadership and for your personal acknowledgement of the importance of ensuring that the Central Coast is a place of opportunity and hope. To Gosford City Council Mayor Lawrie McKinna, to Monique Marks and to John Singleton: thank you for your passion for the Central Coast, to make it a better place to live and to work.

To my mentors and friends Scott Morrison, Senator Arthur Sinodinos, Paul Fletcher, Bob Baldwin, the Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones and Damien Jones, Chris Holstein, David Quilty, Hollie Hughes, Scott Farlow, Simon Fontana and Simon Berger: thank you. To Alex Hawke, once an adversary but now a true friend: I much prefer fighting alongside you than against you, Alex! Thank you for your tireless belief that we would win.

To Nick Campbell: you truly went the extra mile, and then some, to support our campaign to win Robertson, and I honour you and your family for your tremendous sacrifice, support, wisdom, encouragement and friendship. To Scott and Gina Banner, and Gavin and Ruth Middleton, great friends over a lifetime: thank you for always being there and for loving us regardless.

To my family, my parents and my siblings, you are glad to be with me no matter what I do, and I love you for it. To Chris, my rock and partner for nearly half my life: you bring out the best in me, you believe in me and you cherish me. I am here with your full support and perhaps also because of it. To Oscar and to Mollie-Joy: I love you more than words can say. I serve my community, my party and my nation to serve you. May I do all I can to repay the sacrifices you each make every single day; and, Oscar and Mollie-Joy, may I never be too old to jump on the trampoline with you or too important to switch my phone off when we spend time together.

To my God: may I know what it means, like Esther, to be born for such a time as this.

To my community and to the electors of Robertson: may I never, ever let you down. Thank you.

Debate adjourned.