Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

One of those days—all preselectors. Some are coming in for tours tomorrow and having a look around at committees. I was in the chamber listening to Senator Ayres, who was giving a great reflection on some members of the Labor Party and unions who have passed away over time, when I received a text regarding Ian Coxhead. Ian Coxhead is one of the Tamworth parents who were here for my maiden speech. He and his wife put me up in Tamworth when I campaign in New England and I spend a lot of time with them. Every time I go there I bring a serious injury for one of them. The first day I was there, Ian was attacked by a dog that got off someone else's car and bit through to the bone and took his tendons out. He ended up in Tamworth Hospital. The second time I went up there for a campaign, Mrs Coxhead—Liz—had a back injury and spent the time I was there in hospital getting her back redone. So I was really disappointed to hear that—when I wasn't even there—Ian had a heart attack yesterday, whilst I was in the chamber. But he survived.

It makes us go back. All of us are here because of people like the Coxheads, right throughout our memberships and our supporters in unions, in parties and in small businesses. They do so much for us and they also do so much for people in the community. They take a stand. Ian is a fodder farmer, with dryland and wetland. During the drought, when he was out of water and out of stock himself, he was buying from other sources and giving to his regular customers, sometimes at a loss, so he could help them out, because he wasn't suffering as much as other people. He and Liz are the king and queen of Nemingha, with their flagpole proudly on their front lawn.

Ian, I'm thinking of you. I know you are going in to have a stent put in on Monday. Thank you for all you do for your community, thank you for all you do for the party and thank you for all you have done for me.