Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is such a shame on such a beautiful day, with a bright start to the year, to hear this continual negativity from those who sit opposite, so I am going to talk about a few positive things that have happened in the wonderful seat of Groom, since we last attended this chamber. First of all, we turned the sod on the Toowoomba range crossing, a crossing that is vitally important to your electorate, too, Deputy Speaker Scott. It is a $1.7 billion road that is going to see 1,800 people employed in my electorate by the end of the year. That is what good government can do. When you strive to balance your budget, when you strive to make sure that you are doing what needs to be done to keep the economy going, the opportunities will be there. I know the range crossing has been a very long time coming, and there are still some who will not believe it until they actually see the dozers on the site. But the drilling has started and the work will begin soon.

The second matter is, of course, the announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister of a $1 million grant to assist the Toowoomba Clubhouse to start the Vanguard Laundry. The Vanguard Laundry is there to assist people with mental health issues to get into meaningful work. It already has a foundation customer in the local hospital, but as well as the opportunities at the laundry we are also seeing opportunities for those people who come under the Toowoomba Clubhouse auspices to get work on the second range crossing. It is a win-win all around.