Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A couple of Sundays ago I was joined by Senator Brett Mason and the North Queensland Cowboys for the game against the Canberra Raiders here in Canberra. Whilst the result of the game was fairly ordinary for North Queensland supporters, the company was fantastic. Joining the Cowboys, Senator Brett Mason and me were the High Commissioners from Fiji and Papua New Guinea. If we are to develop the north of Australia, we must look not just inwardly. We must not just look west of Townsville; we must look east and north. Fiji and Papua New Guinea will be very important countries, as will all the Melanesian nations, in the development of northern Australian and the development of my city.

On that theme, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the foreign minister for her drive in continuing the parliamentary friendship groups of other nations. I was lucky enough to score the chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Thailand. Last night we had a gathering of a lot of people, and I got to meet His Excellency Mr Maris Sangiampongsa, who is the Ambassador of Thailand to Australia, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. There are 65 million people in Thailand and 290 Thai people in Townsville. We are looking forward to seeing him there.

In the time I have left, I would also like to say a farewell. Vale, Doc Neeson. Those of us who are from the eighties will remember him. (Time expired)