George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The people of Central and North Queensland are often misunderstood and much maligned. People say we're different. In the wake of the 18 May election victory, I am honoured to represent the people of Mackay, Proserpine, the Whitsundays, Bowen, the Burdekin and Townsville. These people were called a lot of names: rednecks, bogans, knuckle-draggers and racists. They were called ignorant. They were called cavemen and hillbillies. The Twitterati called for a Quexit; they wanted to kick us out of the country.

Well, at the ballot box, the cavemen came out with their clubs, and this election result is a victory for them. It's a victory for the men and women who put on the high-vis and hard hats and head out west to work in our mines. It's a victory for the farmers and graziers, the fishermen and the fruit-and-veg growers—people who might have dirt under their fingernails but who put food on our tables. It's a victory for small business men and women, for tradesmen and for soldiers and servicemen in our garrison city of Townsville. The people I stand here to represent may be misunderstood. They may be maligned. But they've made sure their voices will be heard. I congratulate them on their election victory. I'll make their voices heard in this chamber.