Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In May last year, the people of Petrie placed their trust in me to represent them in this building. It is a responsibility I carry with great pride and one that I have worked hard to honour every single day since. Now, it's been just over 10 months since I was elected. In that time, I've made it a priority to get straight to work. Because for me, being a good representative isn't just about titles; it's about outcomes. It's about listening, showing up and delivering for our community, and that's exactly what I've been doing from day one.

I've been out in the community meeting with residents, schools, small businesses and community groups. I've made sure that the voices of my community are heard not just locally but here in Canberra as well. The issues my community raised with me are clear: cost of living, housing, health care, education, the environment and local jobs. I'm proud to say that I'm part of a government that is delivering real support in each of these areas. We have delivered tax cuts for every taxpayer, helping Australians keep more of what they earn. We've cut student debt by 20 per cent, easing the burden on 22,813 current and former students in Petrie. We've made medicines more affordable, with PBS scripts now capped at $25 for the general public and $7.07 for concession card holders for the rest of the decade. We have fully funded all Queensland schools. We've created a new Environmental Protection Agency. We've made TAFE free. We're delivering on energy bill relief, more tax cuts for every taxpayer and more affordable child care.

But beyond national policies, I've been focused on delivering local outcomes because that's what matters most to the people I represent. In health care, I've been able to secure an Urgent Care Clinic in Deception Bay, a Medicare Mental Health Centre in Redcliffe, a speciality Indigenous mental health clinic in Deception Bay, and additional funding for headspace Redcliffe. Because of Labor's policies, we have now doubled the number of fully bulk-billed GPs in the Petrie electorate, because access to health care should not depend on your postcode. In education, I'm meeting with school principals in my electorate, hearing about their priorities and what support they need, and I've raised these matters directly to the education minister.

I've also been able to support and sponsor the Petrie shield for 41 schools, recognising the achievements of students right across the electorate. For housing, more than a thousand people in Petrie have been able to buy their own home using the five per cent home deposit scheme, paying off their own mortgage rather than someone else's. While it is great to see so many first homebuyers using this, my focus is also on supply of social and affordable housing, getting 82 new social and affordable homes built in Redcliffe, with 248 more on their way in Margate, Carseldine and Deception Bay. It is a great start, and I'll continue to advocate directly to the housing minister for more.

For infrastructure, the federal government is backing the Bruce with an investment of $7.2 billion, with over $1.7 billion worth of work happening right within the Petrie electorate. On top of that, we've put in $56.24 million on the Beams Road overpass and $125.5 million to finally upgrade the Linkfield Road overpass, which is one of the worst overpasses in Queensland, if I'm frank.

Working with ministers, I've been advocating directly to them to get the best outcomes for my community. Looking at everything that has been delivered for Petrie, it is clear that the Albanese Labor government has a keen focus on the electorate. Personally, I am so excited that Minister Wells and I have been able to secure the 2027 Women's Softball World Cup in Redcliffe, which is expected to bring about $2.5 million into the local economy.

But just as important as the big announcements are the everyday moments hosting community events like the Fitzgibbon Family Fun Day, working with volunteers such as the great people at Deception Bay Scouts, the Redcliffe Wood Crafters, the amazing crew at Bridge FM and so many more. Because strong communities aren't built in parliament; they're built by the hard work of every single member of the amazing community that I am a part of.

But even with all of this, my job is far from over. There is so much more that needs doing including: getting more healthcare services into the area; hosting more community events that bring our neighbours together; fighting for more infrastructure funding, especially roads, as our community continues to grow so that people can get where they need to go faster and safer; and building more houses all throughout the community to help people realise the Australian dream. A great deal has been achieved in just 10 months, but there's still so much more to do because representing Petrie isn't something I take for granted. (Time expired)

See this speech in context