Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's clear that Albanese government looks after those who live in the cities and leaves behind those who don't. The people of my electorate of Dawson—a rural area—like those in all regional areas, are paying the price of this Labor government. Key nation-building and community-strengthening infrastructure projects in my patch have been scrapped, and that will have devastating impacts.

The Whitsundays is a tourism mecca. With 74 beautiful islands, we are the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. Tourists come from across the globe to visit these islands and explore one of the seven natural wonders of the world. With most families owning a boat, boat ownership per capita in the Whitsundays is among the highest anywhere.

Prior to the election, the coalition committed $420,000 to Volunteer Marine Rescue Whitsunday. This funding was vital. It would have gone a long way towards improving the safety of the thousands of water users in the Whitsundays. The volunteers of VMR are hardworking, committed volunteers who dedicate themselves to greater safety in the Whitsundays, but their work is being undermined by facilities that are too small. This means that crucial programs, like first aid courses and navigation training, cannot happen. They simply don't have enough room to run the events.

I've visited these incredible volunteers multiple times and I've seen firsthand their need to expand their facility, to allow space for regular search and rescue services as well as full-scale rescue operations. It is vital that this club of around 50 dedicated volunteers has the appropriate technology and space to keep our boaties and tourists safe on the water. If funding for organisations such as VMR is what the Albanese government defines as waste then that is disgraceful.

Another group left behind are the veterans in and around Mackay. The coalition government committed to investing $5 million in veterans wellness in my electorate of Dawson. This would have brought an RSL complex to Mackay, a wellness centre to the Mackay Memorial Swim Centre and a retreat at Kinchant Dam. The wellness facilities were designed to support defence personnel, veterans, and first responders and their families, but the Labor government have axed it. In fact, they have axed all veterans wellness centres north of Brisbane. The regions are being brushed again.

What kind of message does this send? I'm appalled. If our men and women are willing to put their bodies on the line—to put their lives on the line for our security and the sovereignty of our nation—the very least we should do is offer them support when they come home. The peace of our country comes at a cost. There is an immediate cost, but there is also a hidden cost that chips away at the mental health of our returned service men and women. The toll on our veterans is great. Many of our veterans come home having experienced the terror of war, a trauma that can stay with them for the rest of their lives. When in government, the coalition invested a record amount in our veterans, and that is a legacy I am extremely proud of. It is disappointing that the government would remove this funding and put it in the wastebasket. How we honour our veterans is a mark of our nation. Regional Aussies deserve more from their government, which is there to represent everyone.

These are just a couple of projects that would have made a huge difference in the life of my local community. I haven't even spoken of the other critical projects that the government has canned: Mackay Hockey; Ayr Industrial Estate; the Proserpine P&C shade project—they've taken money off the P? Alligator Creek community sporting hall; the Urannah dam; and Bowen pipeline. I will continue to fight hard for these projects because I believe that when the regions are strong, all of Australia is strong. When the parts of Australia that produce the nation's wealth, like those in the electorate of Dawson, are supported, the whole nation will prosper. This government needs to step up and start representing all Australians.