Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm proud to be a member of the great Australian Labor Party, surrounded by fine people, like the member for Griffith, who strive to make positive change, who wish to make the lives of people in our community better, people not afraid to fight for the hard issues. My electorate of Moreton is fortunate to have six hardworking Labor state members of parliament—three men, three women; three courageous, progressive women—but one of these women has been the target of unfair and extraordinary abuse during the current state election campaign. Jackie Trad, someone we both call a friend, has had her corflutes defaced with sexist slurs and had her private property vandalised. Newspapers have devoted countless gallons of ink in disgracefully sniping and attacking this hardworking progressive Labor woman. The community Jackie represents is eclectic and progressive. I know it well. The member for Griffith has most of it, but some of Jackie's patch is in Moreton. There are professionals, families, students and retired people living in a mix of flats, apartments, houses and crisis accommodation. Jackie has lived locally for 40-plus years. She knows what's important to her community. She lives and breathes our community. Jackie is what a real progressive woman looks like. There's a reason the Murdoch press, conservative forces and even the Greens political party are all trying to unseat Jackie. The conservatives are afraid of what she's achieved and the Greens want to be just like Jackie.

Jackie is the daughter of Lebanese migrants who settled in Australia with very little. They worked hard and started their own fruit shop. Jackie learnt her work ethic and tenacity from her hardworking parents. Jackie has achieved genuine progressive reform in Queensland. She led the debate on decriminalising abortion, a reform that was a very long time coming. This reform is something the LNP now want to water down. Such a regression would only compromise the health and wellbeing of Queensland women going through an incredibly difficult time. So many progressive reforms have been championed by Jackie Trad: banning gay conversion therapy and promising a vote on voluntary assisted dying. Jackie is courageous. She's the woman you want in the trenches with you. She has her community's back. She knows how tough it is to make change happen and she's never afraid of a challenge. I think she's fearless.

Sadly, once again in this Queensland election campaign, we've seen Clive Palmer throwing money around to influence the vote. You can bet self-interest drives anything Clive Palmer does. Queenslanders are rightly wary of any how-to-vote advice from Mr Palmer. His how-to-vote cards for South Brisbane preference the Greens before the LNP. Just think about that. The dude who profits from coal is asking South Brisbane people to preference the Greens political party because he's scared of Jackie Trad. Locals in South Brisbane need Jackie Trad to represent their interests in parliament because she's effective. So, if you're selfish and live in South Brisbane, vote Liberal. If you want to feel good and achieve nothing, vote for the Greens political party. If you want action and a local champion, vote for Jackie Trad.