Category: Speeches in Parliament

90 SECONDS: Queensland 2024 By-Elections

 I’d like to take this moment to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the volunteers who came out in support of our LNP candidates in Queensland over the weekend.

We all know that behind every member, senator and councillor stands a team of generous and dedicated volunteers.

This weekend they came out in full force, and I’m incredibly proud of our efforts. We saw a significant swing in Inala, and I commend Trang Yen for her dedication and hard work.

I would also like to extend my special congratulations to the re-elected Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner, and the newly elected state member for Ipswich West, Darren Zanow.

They are both stand-up, experienced and hardworking community leaders who will no doubt get the job done.

Lastly, it would be remiss of me if I didn’t acknowledge what a pleasure it has been to work with Alex Givney, the Lord Mayor’s representative for Wynnum Manly Ward, on her campaign to be the next councillor for Wynnum Manly Ward.

For the last 72 years, Wynnum Manly Ward has been taken for granted by Labor.

During this election, locals took a stand.

While we don’t know the official result yet, either way, Alex has reminded Labor not to take Bayside voters for granted.

Alex eagerly listened to locals and energetically stood up against Labor and the Greens, with integrity and positivity the whole way.

Well done, Alex, Adrian, Trang, Darren and all the candidates who stood for the LNP. It was a great weekend and a great result.

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90 SECONDS: Crime in Bonner

Bonner is a great place to live, work and raise a family.

But, unfortunately, our local community has not been left unscathed by the Queensland crime crisis.

This is the result of unsuccessful policy and a broken system created by the state Labor government.

It’s ruining livelihoods, hurting families and tearing communities apart.

Bonner locals reach out daily to tell me about the crime in their homes, neighbourhoods, sporting clubs and small businesses.

Just recently, Marilyn, from St Pete’s Pantry, rang my office to tell me that they had been broken into, not once but twice.

St Pete’s is an extraordinary charity in Wynnum which supports the most vulnerable in our community.

Their mission is to make sure that no-one goes hungry and, during the cost-of-living crisis, their mission is more important than ever.

Whilst, luckily, no-one was hurt, their laptop, which is used by volunteers, and the Bonner Bright Star Award which they won last year for services to our community were stolen.

I have been able to organise a replacement medal for Marilyn and the team at St Pete’s Pantry, but many items are not so easy to replace.

Our community deserves better; Queenslanders deserve better. We need a state government which is going to prioritise our safety and which has a plan to overcome this crime crisis.

We need a change in Queensland, which is why I’m backing David Crisafulli and his team to make our homes and communities so much safer.

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90 SECONDS: Financial Literacy in Schools

Last May, I moved a motion to make financial literacy a compulsory part of the national curriculum. This motion is more important today than it has ever been.

Last week, the member for Kennedy was told that cash wasn’t accepted by our staff right here in Parliament House.

The truth is that, since the pandemic, cash use has halved from 32 per cent of in-person transactions to now just 16 per cent.

When I owned a restaurant in 1994, 98 per cent of the transactions were in cash.

Thirty years later, in that same restaurant, 99 per cent of the transactions are cashless.

What a turnaround! While each of us in this room is fortunate enough to understand the implications of a cashless society, much of Australian youth is not, and the problem does not stop here.

Many Australian graduates don’t understand basic topics such as compound interest, negative gearing and taxation.

It is our responsibility to ensure the next generation is set up to make informed personal decisions, especially in finance.

In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, we need to be empowering youth to take charge and better understand their finances.

We simply can’t afford to miss this opportunity. Let’s make financial literacy a compulsory part of the national curriculum to educate and empower our next generation, especially as we move to a cashless society.

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90 SEONDS: Bonner Youth Advisory Council

Today’s students are tomorrow’s teachers, doctors, carpenters and politicians.

As we continue to grow older, it is our shared responsibility to raise quality members of society who will work hard and contribute, and might I say Bonner is a treasure trove of curious minds and dedicated students.

I would like to thank the 13 Bonner students in years 10, 11 and 12 who committed to my Bonner Youth Advisory Council, BYAC, in 2023.

I’ve been so impressed by their passion and hard work and have no doubt that each of them will achieve great things in their future. Congratulations to Abigail and Blanca from Citypointe Christian College; Bailey and Ollie from Iona College; Aimi, Georgia, Sharna and Xavier from Mansfield State High School; Zayden from Queensland Academies Creative Industries; Alice from Redeemer Lutheran College; and Araminta, Heer and Ishita, who are all from Rochedale State High School in my electorate.

Throughout the year we heard from leaders in our community. Last year I was able to partner with You Are Not Alone, the Queensland Koala Society and Ocean Crusaders to speak with BYAC at our meetings.

Throughout our workshops, students from different schools collaborated on research projects aligned with their personal interests.

Last year we had four groups, who investigated the topics of mental health, the cost of living, the impact of technology on young people, and the environment.

Each group worked together to identify specific issues within their topic and proposed problem-solving strategies.

At the end of January, the group submitted their reports, and I would like to share with my parliamentary colleagues some of the interesting findings from BYAC.

The group who investigated mental health found that some young people may be unable to distinguish between online connections and genuine, meaningful relationships in person.

The group on the cost of living found a worthwhile solution would be teaching students about financial independence and money, and this feedback was particularly interesting to me, as I continue to fight for my motion to make financial literacy a compulsory part of our national curriculum.

The students who reported on the impact of technology found that education on cyberbullying should be compulsory in all schools, including what cyberbullying is, what to do if you are being cyberbullied, and how to prevent and report cyberbullying.

When it came to the environment, the team found the establishment of a youth advisory council for environmental planning would be useful, particularly to consult on any trail bike tracks and jumps in Brisbane. Nominations for the 2024 Bonner Youth Advisory Council are filling rapidly but have not yet closed.

I encourage any parents to apply to BYAC on behalf of their keen child, and I look forward to meeting you all.

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90 SECONDS: Immigration Detention

I’m in shock and I’m in disbelief that I have to be standing here today to give this speech. I’m outraged.

Eighty-four hardened criminals, noncitizens, have been released into our community from detention.

Rapists, paedophiles, sex offenders and murderers are now free in our country.

The worst part is that the federal government was told in June this year that this could be a possibility, but, instead of working towards protecting Australians and having a plan if the High Court overturned this 20-year-old precedent, they have put rushed legislation through that hasn’t even been written for 24 hours.

That in itself is unbelievable considering the types of criminals that have now released from detention.

To have a man who brutally shot a pregnant woman and then blew up her body with explosives walking free in this country is disgusting.

As a father of two young boys, to know that a man who raped a 10-year-old boy is no longer in detention is unthinkable.

Australians deserve to be put first.

Australians deserve to be safe and they deserve to be protected. We in the opposition are prepared to stay here in parliament for as long as it takes to get this right.

We are prepared to put Australians first.

 

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5 MINUTES: Youth Crime in Bonner

Every person has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home.

They have the right to feel at ease when they walk down the street with their family to go to the park or visit a mate’s place.

They have the right to feel comfortable when they go to the shops, no matter what time of the day or night. They have the right to know, when they go to sleep at night, that all will be okay in the morning when they wake up.

But, in Queensland, those rights to safety, protection and security have fast been slipping away, including in my electorate of Bonner.

I shouldn’t have to be standing here giving this speech. One of the most important roles of any government is to protect its people no matter what side of politics you are from. This principle is at the very foundation of all nations and states around the world.

Yet there are too many people in Queensland and in my electorate of Bonner who just don’t feel safe, like Lama from Rochedale.

Lama’s house was broken into. Her bag, wallet and car were all stolen. When she went down into her garage to check on her car, she fell, breaking her ankle.

Lama was 12 weeks pregnant. No-one should have to go through the stress and trauma of having their house broken into, especially not when they are pregnant and focusing on their health and the health of their unborn child.

And Yu-Ying from Rochedale told me her young children don’t feel safe and are struggling to sleep at night because of the high number of break-ins in the area.

Yu-Ying said one of the main conversations her children are having at school is about how their classmates’ homes are getting broken into. This is causing them to feel stressed and anxious.

The thought of, ‘What if our house next?’ is running through their minds and making Yu-Ying’s children feel vulnerable. That apprehension is not allowing them to focus on school, which is so important, especially in the early years of learning.

Simply put, this isn’t good enough.

Unfortunately the situation is not unique to Rochedale. John from Mansfield recently had his house broken into at 1.30 pm, in broad daylight. Three teenage boys broke into his house, broke down the door, without concern or fear of repercussions.

And why should they fear? With watered-down Queensland crime laws and a lack of resources and support of our incredibly hardworking police, a slap on the wrist is all these youths will get, and they know it.

It’s not just households who are being targeted. Local sporting clubs and community groups are also in the firing line of the Queensland youth crime crisis.

The Wynnum Wolves Football Club have been rebuilding their clubhouse and grounds after the devastating impacts of the February 2022 floods. Just last week their newly renovated dressing rooms and amenities were vandalised and graffitied.

This deliberate destruction of the club facilities caused $20,000 worth of damage. Volunteers, parents, players and club members are heartbroken and frustrated, as this is not the first time the Wynnum Wolves Football Club has been the victim of youth crime.

Whilst all these stories of youth crime have been horrible, there was one last year that still sticks with me.

A Hemmant man, a father of three and a loving husband, tragically was killed after being hit by a stolen car driven by a 15-year-old teen. When will this end? When will people be able to stop living in fear of being broken into because of youth crime?

When will sporting groups not have to worry about facilities being damaged and destroyed? And when will families never again have to say goodbye to a loved one who has been killed as a result of youth crime?

It’s time for change in Queensland, and we’re coming up to one year until the Queensland state elections, when Queenslanders will have a choice.

They can choose to re-elect a state Labor government who have created this youth crime crisis and who have admitted that they cannot fix it themselves, or they can back a David Crisafulli led government, who will be tough on crime, who will put Queenslanders first and who are determined to make sure that every Queenslander is safe and secure in their own home. It’s safe to say I know who I’ll be backing.

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90 SECONDS: Port of Brisbane

The port of Brisbane in my electorate of Bonner is an economic powerhouse.

Last financial year alone, the port contributed over $7.8 billion to the Queensland economy and supported around 63,000 jobs.

But there’s just one thing missing that would truly make the port of Brisbane and South-East Queensland the logistical capital of Australia, and that’s tunnel vision.

By creating a dedicated tunnel connecting the port of Brisbane to Ebenezer in Ipswich, which would then connect to the inland rail, we would unlock the economic potential of the port and make our roads safer for Brisbane families.

Currently, over 97 per cent of freight leaves the port by truck—that’s right, 97 per cent—causing increased road degradation and traffic congestion, as well as noise and air pollution for Brisbane locals.

My tunnel vision could take 13 million trucks off Brisbane roads by 2050. That would save $195 million in congestion costs each year, meaning less time and money spent on the road and more time with families and loved ones.

It would also add 1,200 new jobs per year between now and 2045 and allow container freight to leave the port of Brisbane and arrive in Melbourne within 24 hours—all of this while saving $250 million in reducing emissions associated with road-to-rail switch.

Four years ago, the Queensland Labor government pocketed $20 million of federal government funding and have still not released the Port of Brisbane Strategic Rail Access Study.

In fact, they have only used around $4.4 million of the $20 million allocated to determine how freight could be sent to the inland rail network from the port of Brisbane.

It’s time for the Queensland Labor government to get serious about connecting the port of Brisbane to inland rail.

They are wasting time, wasting opportunity and disadvantaging Queenslanders for generations to come. I urge the Queensland government to release the study to the public. Let’s make tunnel vision a reality.

 

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90 SECONDS: Disability Services – Multicap

I’m excited to update the House on the remarkable initiatives undertaken by Makeables in Tingalpa.

On a mission to increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, Makeables is a not-for-profit disability employer affiliated with the Multicap organisation.

Currently, they have 80 supported employees at their workplace, with an additional 30 to 40 students attending each week from local special schools to gain skills and work experience.

Makeables’ goal is to help as many of their employees as possible to transition into open employment.

Conducting a variety of tasks to help in the assembly, packing and finishing of production and distribution, employees are offering tangible benefits to local businesses in our community.

One such example of this is employees from Makeables helping to pack between 20 and 30 pallets a day of potato chips PepsiCo.

Working at Makeables is also helping improve everyday life skills of people with disabilities, such as communication, problem-solving and working in a team, further allowing them to boost their confidence and thrive.

I am happy to say Multicap and Makeables recently received a Stronger Communities grant, which they used to implement six custom-height adjustable workstations for their employees.

During a recent visit, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nick, the employment operations manager at Multicap, and it was heartening to learn from Nick that the Stronger Communities grant [time expires]

 

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90 SECONDS: Financial Literacy in Schools

I’m excited to update the House on the progress of my motion to make financial literacy a compulsory part of the national curriculum.

Since I introduced this motion, I have had an incredible amount of positive feedback from my electorate of Bonner.

Mums, dads, schoolteachers, principals, accountants, business owners and local school students have said to me that not only is financial literacy in schools a good idea but it must become compulsory.

Local mum Helen told me that, if financial literacy was compulsory when she attended school, she believes that it would have given her the skills to make better financial decisions to help her family get ahead, helped to reduce financial stress and even potentially reduced fights about finances in her home.

I also heard from Bonner local school student Jake, who told me that personal finances are not spoken about in his house.

Jake said that he wished that financial literacy was already compulsory in schools so he would be confident in how to manage his money as he enters the workforce.

It is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation is equipped with the skills that they need to be confident in making smart financial decisions so that they can get ahead.

I look forward to my next update to the House as I start my Bonner schools financial literacy tour.

To learn more about the motion to make financial literacy compulsory in schools, click here

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3 MINUTES: CONSTITUENCY STATEMENT – Bayside United Football Club

I think we can all agree that it is beyond exciting to see our Matildas make it through to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Women’s Soccer World Cup.

They were on fire last night, and what incredible ambassadors they are for Australia and for women in sport. But I rise today to update the House on what I believe is even more exciting soccer news for my electorate of Bonner.

I’m happy to report that the Bayside United Football Club female change rooms and parents room are only weeks away from completion.

Located in the great suburb of Lota, the Bayside United Football Club has a proud history of being a club for the people, and it is an integral part of our local community.

Through my advocacy, and working alongside the Bayside United Football Club, I was able to deliver $580,000 in federal government funding to help the club expand and cater for female athletes and parents. When this project first started there were no dedicated female change rooms or parents room.

This meant there was no privacy for female players or referees when they needed to change in or out of sports gear and no area for parents if they needed privacy with young children.

That is why I fought for this much-needed community infrastructure upgrade to help ensure women and parents feel comfortable and safe when attending games at Bayside United Football Club.

To know this project is very near completion is great news and a win for our local community, especially as female participation in soccer continues to grow to new heights.

The opening of the female change rooms and parents room will also be just in time for the Super 6 summer series, and this year the club aims to have at least 50 per cent women and girls teams in the series, which will include mum-and-daughter teams along with dad-and-daughter teams.

I have to say, the completion of this upgrade and the new life of the club wouldn’t be possible without the passion and dedication of the new club president, Andrew Dale, as well as the hardworking committee members and people like the women and girls technician director, Theo.

I’m also excited—or, should I say, slightly apprehensive—to share with the House that Andrew has challenged me to a pizza cook-off at the club.

It might have been a while since my restaurant days, but, as the former owner of a small business called Elio’s Restaurant, and being of Italian heritage, I’m hoping I can remember a trick or two!

I look forward to keeping the House informed and, more importantly, to seeing more women playing soccer at the Bayside United Football Club.

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