Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make some comments on the recent Queensland state election. I congratulate Premier David Crisafulli and his team for their success. It was well earned. We desperately hope that Queensland has now turned the corner. I congratulate all of the LNP candidates—those elected and those who fell just short. Each and every one of you provided a choice to the people of Queensland. Thank you. It was an honour to work with you shoulder to shoulder, in some cases over more than one election.

It was a hard campaign. Labor had created a financial gerrymander. Labor had made more spending promises than a drunken sailor could, and there were the usual scare campaigns. But there was something even worse, a much darker side to this campaign: the bile and vitriol that Labor and some of its trade union affiliates directed to female candidates, including those from multicultural backgrounds.

As I make these comments, I note that Senator Lambie is in the chamber. In this chamber I have noted Senator Lambie's courage in calling out the behaviour of the CFMEU, a then affiliate to the Labor Party. This campaign in Queensland had many parallels: trade unions acting disgracefully and supported by the Labor Party, either directly or by omission, because they wouldn't call them out. It's just vile. There were deeply personal and vicious attacks, which have no place in Australia's democracy. It's absolutely shameful. It's as shameful as anything I've seen in any campaigns over the course of 35 years of being involved in political campaigns.

Shame on those who engaged in this disgraceful conduct. Shame on those in positions of power in the Labor Party and the trade union movement who either (a) mobilised unions to do their dirty work; or (b) stood by and did nothing. There are those who could have stopped it and did nothing and who, through their inaction, either condoned it or acquiesced. Shame on you. Shame on those responsible for the bile spewed at Trang Yen, the LNP's wonderful candidate for Inala. Trang was born in Vietnam in 1976. She came to Australia as a refugee with her grandmother. We should all celebrate the fact that we live in a country where someone like Trang Yen could build such a wonderful life and then stand for election. I am proud to call Trang Yen a friend. I'm proud to have supported Trang Yen with many members of Queensland's wonderful multicultural community who saw themselves, their aspirations and their hopes in the candidacy of Trang Yen. But the bile she had to suffer—shame on the Labor and Green supporters who were responsible for this vile abuse! You know who you are. Shame on those in positions of responsibility in the Labor Party, including elected members, who could have stopped this abuse and chose not to! You know who you are.

Pinky Singh was the LNP's wonderful candidate for Mansfield. Pinky had stood at the previous state election. Pinky has been recognised for outstanding contribution to the community, including through her leadership of the Punjabi Welfare Association. Pinky has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal. You would think, again, that we should all celebrate the fact that Pinky was putting her hand up to run at election—someone who came to Australia, built a life in this country, contributed to the community and was now seeking elected office. We should celebrate that. But not the Transport Workers Union—no, no, no. They unleashed a vile barrage of political mudslinging. I have examples of it right here with me in the chamber: a Facebook post which says 'LNP candidate's dodgy immigration business'—except Pinky Singh never had a dodgy immigration business. She was never a director of such a business, she was never a shareholder of such a business, she was never a beneficiary of any proceeds of any such business. When the TWU were called out on their mudslinging, they agreed to cease and desist, but the damage had all been done. We know how the trade union movement works in lock step with the Labor Party in this case. It was just another sordid fabrication, and when threatened with an injunction the TWU stopped their action. But the damage had been done. One also doesn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to work out who was responsible for spray-painting genitalia on Pinky's corflutes all through the electorate. Shame on you, and shame on those in the Labor Party who either were responsible for mobilising the TWU to unleash this barrage of filth or stood by and did nothing to intervene. I was honoured to campaign shoulder-to-shoulder with Pinky Singh, and I will be honoured to do it again.

Then I turn to Ariana Doolan, the new member for Pumicestone—a wonderful young woman, articulate, smart, committed, only 22 years of age and now elected to sit in the Queensland parliament. Her grandparents fled the apartheid regime in South Africa to build a new life here in Australia. Again, you would think that her candidacy would be something for all of Australia to celebrate. But this time it was the United Workers Union—they had been given the seat of Pumicestone to work in, and again they launched a deeply personal and offensive campaign against Ariana Doolan, a 22-year-old young woman. A 22-year-old young woman was subjected to this vile campaign.

Senator Urquhart, through you, Madam Acting Deputy President Grogan, I'm sure when you stand for the seat of Bradden you won't be subjected to such a campaign. But nothing could compare to the abuse which Ariana Doolan, newly elected member for Pumicestone, had to cop from the sitting Labor member at pre-poll—a sitting Labor member of parliament. This is what she said to this young 22-year-old woman—a never-ending tirade of abuse. It's just disgraceful! This is what she said: 'The only reason you joined the LNP was because Labor and the Greens rejected you. You are selling women out to become an MP. You have no values or morals. You stand for nothing. You are nothing.' How dare she! How dare she, as an elected member of parliament, unleash such a tirade of filth against someone putting their hand up to run in Australia's democracy? How shameful! What is wrong in the culture of the Queensland Labor Party that a sitting MP, no less, would consider it appropriate to engage in this despicable behaviour. It is sick. It is sick, contemptible behaviour.

This is what she said to Ariana: 'My team saw you crying yesterday. Politics is tough. If you can't handle this, you won't be able to handle parliament.' I wish you were there, Senator Lambie, on that pre-poll. I wish you were there. Well, Ariana never cried once. In fact Ariana was spoken to by many members of the community who told Ariana how disappointed they were to see a so-called community leader engage in such offensive conduct. In Ariana's words, 'It is hypocritical coming from a party that talks about having increased diversity of representation in parliament—only when it suits them apparently.' Only when it suits them, apparently, are they in favour of diversity.

These were vile attacks against a 22-year-old young woman standing for elected office whose grandparents fled the apartheid regime in South Africa. Good on you, Ariana. You are made of the right stuff to serve the people of Pumicestone and the people of Queensland in the Queensland parliament. It is one thing to lose an election; it is another to lose respect. Shame on those members of the Labor Party and the trade union movement who engaged in this despicable behaviour or stood by and did nothing to stop it when they had the power to do so—those who acquiesced to this despicable conduct.

Lastly I would like to thank all of the members and the supporters of the LNP for your tireless support. I did the review of the 2020 election result, and I still carry with me your stories of how disappointed you were with that result, so I am so pleased that you've all had an opportunity to enjoy this recent victory and the hope that we now have a government who, through the application of LNP values, will create a better life for all Queenslanders.

In closing, I note the recent tragic passing of Dr Warren Thomson, a great and loyal member of the LNP. Warren epitomised the courage of conviction and the commitment to the cause which is displayed by so many LNP members. Vale, Dr Warren Thomson.