Mal Brough (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to be the first in the lower house to congratulate the newest Queensland and Australian senator. Today, Senator Joanna Lindgren was sworn in, in the other place. She follows in the great tradition of her wonderful relative Neville Bonner, whom we all hold in great regard in Queensland. We wish her a long and successful time, advocating on behalf of Queenslanders in the federal parliament.

This also gives me the opportunity to thank the Friends of Bankfoot House. I mentioned this in the main chamber earlier today but did not get the opportunity to particularly thank Mrs Clem Kelly. Just yesterday, on behalf of her father—who was a pioneer of the Glasshouse Mountains—we launched a little booklet on the life of Jack Ferris. I was there at his 100th birthday and he would have been 114 years of age this year. Today, the track around Beerburrum and Tibrogargan, in the mountains, is named after Jack. He was there when we opened the lookout over what is such an iconic part of Australia. Clem brought to it only what a direct descendent can, and that is, those insights of what it was like to live with kerosene lanterns, to have Bakelite radios, to have chaffcutters in the backyard and no power. They are bringing all of that back to life for the children of the Sunshine Coast. So to Mrs Clem Kelly and the Friends of Bankfoot House, thank you for what you do.