Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today in the federal parliament I would like to direct my remarks to the people of Ashgrove, Bardon, Ferny Grove, Keperra, Enoggera, Mitchelton and Upper Kedron and say to those families, those owners of businesses, those entrepreneurs, those innovators, those who have served our country, to veterans, to young people in the suburbs of Ashgrove, Bardon, Ferny Grove, Keperra, Enoggera, Mitchelton and Upper Kedron, and also to people who represent community groups, who are community minded, who represent charities and work tirelessly for a cause which seeks to make lives and societies better, that I will be their new federal member next year. I direct my remarks to them because I look forward very much to representing them here in the Australian parliament. I look forward to being their new, dedicated, committed and tireless member. I intend to represent them as I have represented the suburbs in the current Ryan electorate over the last nine years—with energy, enthusiasm, integrity and passion.

I had the great honour of being elected by the people of Ryan in 2001. I was then a 31-year-old. I am a migrant to this country. I was not born in Australia but, as I said in my first speech, the love I have for this country is immeasurable because it has given me an opportunity to become a member of this great chamber of democracy. The deep privilege I have being the member for Ryan will translate to being a representative of those people. Being a member of this parliament gives us an opportunity to fight for our constituents, to represent them here in the national parliament on issues of great concern.

To the families of Ashgrove, Bardon, Ferny Grove, Keperra, Enoggera, Mitchelton and Upper Kedron I want to give the flavour of two local issues on which I am fighting currently on behalf of some of my existing constituents. Residents in Karana Downs, in the western suburbs of Brisbane, are facing a developer who seeks to take over the golf course and transform it into a development.

I said to the residents and the families of Karana Downs that I am neither for nor against development. My role is to provide a platform for those families and constituents and to provide a voice and to be the voice for them. I do not live in the suburb of Karana Downs. I live in the suburb of Taringa in the Ryan electorate. I have lived in the Ryan electorate for some 25 years now. I said to the community of Karana Downs that I cannot be for or against development. My job is to empower them and to inform them with expert advice so that they can make a decision on a matter and so that they can stand up and say: ‘We are for this development,’ or ‘We are not for it,’ or ‘We are for it with certain qualifications and conditions,’ or ‘We are not for it because the environmental impact studies have not been done’ or ‘We are not for it because we have not been consulted adequately.’ That is one issue that I draw to the attention of the constituents and families living in those suburbs that will be part of the new Ryan electorate.

The other issue concerns my fight for the people and the families living in Bardon and Rainworth. Currently, Telstra is seeking to put up a mobile phone tower in that local community. My beef with Telstra is that they have not given sufficient notice to the families in that community or undertaken any meaningful consultation with them. The proposed mobile phone tower is going to be only 170 metres from the Rainworth State Primary School, which is in the Ryan electorate. I have spoken in the parliament twice this week, calling on the federal Labor government to revisit the relevant legislation that will help those families. I am going to fight for those constituents in Ashgrove, Bardon, Enoggera, Ferny Grove, Keperra, Mitchelton and Upper Kedron with all the energy and enthusiasm I can, because it is important that their voice is heard in the Australian parliament. If you happen to be from those suburbs, my Brisbane electorate number is 33781599 and my email address is Michael.Johnson.MP@aph.gov.au (Time expired)