Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to rise today to speak about Western Australia, the greatest state of this wonderful nation. Last night, in this building—and I know you were all rapt, because you were all down there—we had Showcase WA, and it couldn't have come any sooner. I want to take my hat off and thank my parliamentary colleague and friend Senator Louise Pratt and Mr Ian Goodenough, the member for Moore. I appreciate the effort that they put in. Western Australian businesses and the Western Australian government were here. We had representatives from the mining industry and the gas industry. We had the magnificent Stan from the Kimberley regional development authority. It was great to see the Kimberley represented here, because—I did tell a lie—the Kimberley is the greatest part of the greatest state of the greatest nation in the world. They were showing their wares.

There was also, of course, the City of Swan. You wouldn't expect anything less when the City of Swan come. The City of Swan don't muck around; they travel in the thousands. They were here. They put on a magnificent showcase. Of course, what comes out of the City of Swan is a myriad of agricultural products. They are wonderful people, and there are also some wonderful wineries. It must've been wonderful, because everyone was lined up there just to taste the best wine in the best state of the best country—you know what I'm going on about here; it's about WA! There was also Little Creatures brewery, which is a famous, iconic brewery in my hometown down in Fremantle. It was great to hear—the Prime Minister spoke and the Leader of the Opposition spoke. It was great to see all the rest of the senators, members and staffers salivating around the greatest state of the greatest nation, Australia, and over its wares. As much as I like to say that we are the engine room of the economy—we do know that; I'm so proud to be a Western Australian; we do the heavy lifting—I don't mind visiting the eastern states. I like the eastern states, too. And the Victorians probably have the best football team—Geelong.