Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to report on another season of success of agricultural and country shows across the electorate of Blair. The season began in April with the Kilcoy Show in the very northern tip of the electorate. It was followed by shows in Marburg, Ipswich, Esk, Lowood and Toogoolawah, and concluded last Saturday with the Rosewood Show, the last country show of the season.

These shows are central to the health and wellbeing of local communities. Each has a history stretching back over 100 years. At the risk of missing people out, I want to congratulate the show committees, the presidents, secretaries and treasurers. I will name just one from every show; Kilcoy Show, president Trevor Wessling; Marburg Show, secretary Lyndell Blanch; Ipswich Show, president Marcia Cruickshank; Esk Show, president Michael Jess; Lowood Show, secretary Janeen Schultz; Toogoolawah show, secretary Lynne Teske and Rosewood Show, secretary Katy Lenihan.

While many things have changed over the years, these shows remain constant in rural communities. A show weekend is still a highpoint in the year in these communities, and the communities put on their finest and best. It is a stage for locals to display their diverse and dynamic talents in areas that are fiercely contested but always in a friendly way. They are an important boost to the local economies as well. In 2015, I held mobile offices at each of the agricultural and country shows again. My mobile office at the Rosewood Show on Saturday was my 142nd since the last election. It was a pleasure to speak with local constituents. These conversations underscored the strength, diversity and character of the people of Blair.

At the Kilcoy Show, I was proud to sponsor, but I assure you not participate in, the breakdance and hip-hop workshop and competition. I was impressed by the talent on display. At the Esk Show, I teamed with up with local Sarah Hannah, the 2014-15 Queensland Rural Ambassador, to actually win the celebrity cook-off. It was a hotly contested affair. Sarah and I created our champion stir-fry, incorporating local produce from across Blair. She brought in port from Kilcoy and I had Chuwar honey, produced by friends of mine, Bob and Liz Finney in Ipswich. So it was a win for Kilcoy and a win for Ipswich.

My office, across the three days of the Ipswich Show, adjoined those of the new Labor members for the state seats of Ipswich and Ipswich West, Jennifer Howard and Jim Madden. I can say that at the Ipswich show we gave out 2,000 Shayne Neumann show bags. So we got that information across the whole electorate as best we could. I want to thank all the volunteers who helped me, and all those people who came and had conversations with us about during the various shows. I offer my congratulations to all the volunteers who help out in these country shows, and I assure them that I will be back next year.