Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday it was one year ago that I delivered my first speech as the federal member for Higgins in the House of Representatives. It is a true honour and privilege to serve as the local member for Higgins in such a diverse and culturally vibrant electorate. I am grateful for the renewed trust that the people of Higgins placed in me following the federal election on 21 August 2010. I know that that trust is not to be taken lightly and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of Liberal Party volunteers and friends who work so hard to deliver good government for this country. In particular, I would like to especially pay tribute to my federal electorate conference in Higgins, led so well by chairman Mark Stretton. It is their support of me that helps me to do my job in this place even better.

The past 12 months have proven momentous in terms of the changes we have seen in our nation’s parliament. For me, as the local member, they have been equally important as I have gone about delivering on the goals set out in my first speech. I made a promise to the people of Higgins that I would focus on their issues, both big and small, and ensure that the people of Higgins had a voice in the nation’s capital that was dedicated to improving their lives—that they would have in me a member of parliament who they could come to with their views and concerns, whether local or national, who would fight for them and ensure that they receive the assistance they need.

Strong local representation is the key to a strong and vibrant democracy. It is vital that people have a mechanism through which they can convey their thoughts on policy to their representatives. To this end, I have convened seven community forums throughout Higgins over the past year, across different parts of my electorate. Some of these forums have focused on key issues such as education, seniors and aged care, small business and the economy, as well as on community safety. Others have been open forums where people could raise any issue they felt was important to them and their community.

I will continue to conduct these community forums in my electorate; they are a vital tool. I will also continue my mobile electorate office program throughout Higgins to make it easier for my constituents to communicate directly with me.

Over the past year, I have had the privilege of delivering a number of speeches in our parliament—from issues as important as economic regulation to the critical issue of the importance of funding bowel cancer research, amongst many others. I have also had the privilege of directly helping many constituents within Higgins.

I am excited to have taken on new roles in the Australian parliament since last year; as a member of both the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics and the Joint Select Committee on the Parliamentary Budget Office. Both of these committees allow me to directly shape public policy and to pursue a move towards a more competitive and productive economy that provides for all Australians. (Time expired)