Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Hansard source

I've got a confession to make. Listen up. I'm a country music fan, that's what I am, and I have been for a long time. How about that? I know it might come as a shock to some people watching at home that a guy in a three-piece suit, from Melbourne, loves country music. You know what? I am full of surprises. How about that one? Over the last month, we've seen the rise to fame of Oliver Anthony, an easygoing man who lives in a trailer that he purchased off Craigslist for $750. Until recently, Oliver recorded his music on a mobile phone. Oliver's song 'Rich Men North of Richmond' has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. He is the first artist ever to debut at No. 1, so congratulations to him. His song takes the thoughts inside the head of the average person and turns them into a pretty darned good melody, if I say so myself. It reveals the many frustrations of the working class and just how out of touch and corrupted the political class has become.

We have our own rich men north of Richmond, but they are right here in our nation's capital. Do you know what? They sold their souls to the globalists and the corporate donors a very long time ago. I come from the outside world—that's where I come from—and do you know what I feel like sometimes? I feel like I'm an illegal alien in this place. Now, to all the old souls out there, we can and we must reject the new world. It begins with saying no, just saying no. The truth when spoken out loud is powerful. Oliver's instant success proved this. To the people at home: remember, courage is contagious and it begins with you.