Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hinkler residents will be glued to the TV tonight to see some of our own produce become the so-called 'hero of the dish'! The De Paoli family will spice things up on the hit reality show My Kitchen Rules, with their high-quality, fresh, locally grown chillies.

Based on Goodwood Road in Bundaberg, Austchilli grow eight different varieties of chillies that are hand-picked every day to ensure year-round supply for consumers.

Since 1995 Austchilli has field-tested over 200 varieties of chillies from all over the world, to find the best on the basis of flavour, heat, colour, yield and consistency.

As well as growing chillies, they grow a wide variety of herbs. They value-add and manufacture a range of products, including Avo Fresh. Today, they export fresh and packaged food to 10 overseas markets. Austchilli are strong supporters of our plan for country-of-origin food labelling. Austchilli are just one in a long line of food manufacturers based in my electorate.

This is my winning suggestion to the MKR contestants: Hervey Bay sea scallops, Ocean King prawns, stir fired with Hinkler vegetables in an Austchilli sauce. Wash it down with a dark and stormy—for the uneducated, that is Bundaberg rum—Bundaberg ginger beer and a wedge of Bundy lime. And finish the meal with a bowl of Mammino's ice-cream and Steinhardt's choc-coated macadamias.

While I usually prefer to be watching the football, my family are usually watching My Kitchen Rules. Tonight I will make an exception! I hope my colleagues and the rest of Australia will tune in to see just some of what my region has to offer!