Speeches

Happy Easter 2020

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a safe and happy Easter.  Usually that would mean taking care on a long driving holiday or not making yourself sick on chocolate, but this year staying safe really does mean staying at home.  One way or another Coronavirus is affecting everyone’s lives right now but this Easter is not the time to be complacent – it is not the time for picnics at the park, or lazy days on the beach.  The curve is flattening and we have a chance to get on top of this virus, if everyone just keeps doing the right thing.  So reach out to family and friends on the phone or via a video messaging app but please, save lives this Easter by staying at home and keeping yourself and your family safe.

Maroochydore Surf Lifesaving Club – National Rescue Medal

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
Did you know that every single day there are about 30 people across this country who survive due to surf lifesavers saving them? On 27 October this year, three surf lifesavers from the Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club were on roving patrol. They were Robin Smith, Taylah Kouvaras and Abigail Green. They spotted a motionless body on the edges of the Maroochy River, they had no time to reflect; they acted. This person was blue and motionless, so they performed CPR. Thankfully, they were also able to use a defibrillator. They continued to look after this person until an ambulance arrived and they were able to transport the person to the ambulance. Do you know what? He survived. It talks to the bravery and courage of our surf lifesavers.
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Olympics for South East Queensland

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
As we continue to explore the possibility of the Olympics for SEQ, let us do so with bold ambition, with pragmatism and knowing we put the community first. Any investment has to be investment for the long term, regardless of an Olympics.

City Deal for South East Queensland

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
City deal with South-East Queensland. There’s no doubt that this government is already delivering enormously for South-East Queensland, but there’s more to do. We have to ensure that we stay ahead of the population curve in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. We have to ensure that, while we respect each distinct community and their needs, from the Gold Coast to the Sunny Coast and from Ipswich to Toowoomba, we also need to improve the connectivity across those communities, across South-East Queensland.
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STATEMENT Economy

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
With the national accounts released again today, we see the Australian economy is rock-solid and growing. The Labor party haven’t got a clue when it comes to the economy. They never have had. They’ve never known how to manage an economy.
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Medicare eligible MRI scans for the Sunshine Coast

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
The Sunshine Coast is one of the fastest growing population centres in the country, yet access to Medicare subsidised MRI scans has fallen behind. This situation is especially acute at Buderim Private Hospital, the only not-for-profit private hospital on the Sunshine Coast. We cannot sustain a health system where public inpatients have better access to services, including MRI scans, than public outpatients or private patients. I therefore support Buderim Private Hospital for a full MRI licence and also Sunshine Coast Radiology and Pacific Radiology to upgrade their partially-eligible MRI licences to better meet the growing needs of health care on the Sunshine Coast.  
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Customs Amendment Illicit Tobaco Bill

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
The ATO and the Department of Home Affairs estimate that almost $600 million in tobacco duty was forgone in the 2015-16 financial year due to Australia’s illicit tobacco trade. This bill involves giving Australian Border Force personnel improved tools for dealing what has proved to be a significant problem in prosecuting smugglers at the border under the current form of the Customs Act.
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STATEMENT – Longman Electorate

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
“There’s a vacant seat in this chamber on which two words are written. Do you know what those two words are? Those two words are ‘Trevor Ruthenberg’— A government member: Big Trev.”
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ADJOURNMENT – ECONOMY

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
We have a scoreboard that proves that we’re delivering on (jobs). National unemployment is 5.5 per cent. On the Sunshine Coast, where I live, it’s 4.8 per cent. It’s 4.9 per cent in the seat of Fairfax. The only way we can ensure our younger generations have an opportunity with work is to continue on that path of economic reform.
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Matters of Public Importance – Employment

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
…the coalition government has created the environment for 825,500 extra jobs. Under the Labor Party’s six years in office, do you know how many they created or enabled to be created? It was the opposite. There were over 200,000 extra people in the job queue. It is time that the members opposite turned on the lights, looked at the scoreboard and understood that there’s only one side of this parliament that enables economic growth and job creation, and that’s the coalition…’
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Electoral & Other Legislation Amendment Bill

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
It is essential that the authorisation of any and all electoral campaigning material is clearly labelled as such. Lobbyist agencies, including unions, should not be able to trick the Australian people into thinking they are receiving campaign material from Government agencies.
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Condolence speech – Concetto Antonio AO

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
…I say from this side of the House, but probably more personally just from me and maybe also from those whom I went to school with, that we send our greatest sympathies to the Sciacca family. It was a privilege to attend the funeral. Con was about family. He was about friends, which I came to realise. As we saw on 30 June at St Stephen’s Cathedral, he was also a man of faith. Family, faith and friends. God bless Con Sciacca and may he rest in peace…’
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25th May 2017 – MPI – Budget

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
I welcome him (The Shadow Treasurer) to come to my patch on the Sunshine Coast and tell people that he refuses to support $530 million for the Bruce Highway.
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21st March, 2017 – Constituency Statement – Sunshine Coast

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
The experts agree: Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is on a roll. With proper management and strong representation, it has one of the brightest futures of any region in the country.
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9th February, 2017 – Bill – Treasury Laws Amendment

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
“Recognising the link between corporate tax rates, investments and jobs is not rocket science. Lower tax rates mean more revenue is retained by businesses, which means more for investment in those businesses and therefore more jobs. More vigorous, more profitable businesses with more jobs means a growing national economy, which means more prosperity to be shared by all. It is a simple, well-tested equation in capitalist systems.”
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a6eZi_tw1s

12th October, 2016 – Bill – Same Sex Marriage Plebiscite

Sat, 31 May 2025 5:44 am
“If the opposition continues to take this stance, then they will be denying the Australian people the right to vote. Instead, they will back themselves and politicians ahead of the people and the Australian public.”  
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THE YEAR THAT WAS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thu, 10/12/2020 – 13:50

The year 2020 is coming to an end. As years go, this one has been an absolute shocker. A global pandemic hit. Lives were lost and livelihoods were shattered. It took a toll on businesses, families, schools and organisations. For those of us who have the privilege to serve, we see the best of it and we see the worst.

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LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE COVID-19 SACRIFICE

Love: it’s not a topic we frequently talk about in this place—and I’m not thinking about the deep affection that those opposite feel towards me and my colleagues, but rather the love that has been tested through COVID-19.DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

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Remembering Don Moffatt

https://youtu.be/tc9NRCQx0zY

I was enormously fortunate to forge a very good personal friendship with Don Moffatt. Don, for me, was a quintessential Australian mate. He would be the first to take the mickey out of you; but, I tell you what, if you ever needed a hand, Don was there. Don was as hard as nails—God, he was tough! But he was also the most gentle, soft fellow. He would fight to the end.

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