Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Before I call the member for Barton, I remind the House that this is the member's first speech and, as such, expect the House to extend to him the proper courtesies.

Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to commence my inaugural speech by expressing my sincere and deepest respect to and admiration for the concept of this parliament, to its origin and painstaking advancement through the years that have made this country prominent in the world, and I pledge my unreserved dedication in serving to the best of my ability within this temple of democracy. My respect, admiration and support continues further to Her Majesty the Queen and to our present constitutional system of government.

As a person born and raised in the St George area of Sydney, within the constituency of Barton where I was elected, I am blessed to have achieved my standing in this House and, of course, grateful and indeed humbled by the honour my constituents and the men and women of my party have bestowed upon me. In making my first speech, it would not be right to disregard the great work done by the former member for Barton, the Hon. Robert McClelland. I have had the opportunity to work very closely with Robert in my role as the Mayor of Kogarah City Council, and, as the former member for Barton, he was a man who got on with the job and who many in my electorate have always spoken very highly of. In his 17 years as the member, he served his electorate and party well and followed in the great tradition set by his father, the Hon. Doug McClelland AC, former senator and President of the Senate. It was disappointing to see how he was treated by the party that not only he but his family had devoted their careers to. It has come as no surprise that, no matter who I have spoken to at parliament about Robert, they have all described him as a wonderful person of great character. Robert, you have certainly left me with big shoes to fill.

Madam Speaker, my warmest congratulations on your election—a proper recognition of your widely-acclaimed services to this nation. I, too, extend to you my total support in your vital role.

Barton is a seat that is the very definition of multiculturalism. Barton has never been regarded as a safe seat for the Liberal Party, and I am humbled to note that only two Liberals have had the honour to represent this electorate before me. Even former Liberal Party member and World War II heroine Nancy Wake, who ran twice, with swings that exceeded my own, failed to gain the honour of representing the wonderful people who reside in Barton.

The seat of Barton is the birthplace of Australia as we know it today, starting in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet at Botany Bay and the beginning of European settlement. The First Fleet, followed by the Gold Rush, boosted Australia's total population from 430,000 in 1851 to 1.7 million in 1871, marking the beginning of Australia's multicultural society.

Multiculturalism to me is not just a slogan or passing fashion. I see it as a whole component of life in Australia which has been pivotal in the pursuit of a variety of goals over the years, including the principles of social justice, the recognition of identities and appreciation of diversity, the integration of migrants, nation building and attempts to achieve and maintain social cohesion. Multicultural diversity on a democratic platform guarantees our shared values in future, and, if it were limited to a three key-word formula, for this unique success, I would nominate 'tolerance', 'unity' and 'justice'. In a sense, I feel that the same values of tolerance, unity and justice can be applied on a greater scale, with dignity and mutual respect, law and security for the wider Australian family, the people we represent.

I wish to acknowledge and thank the Hon. Philip Ruddock for the genuine interest that he has demonstrated towards migrants in Australia over an extensive career to date, including as Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. I would also like to thank representatives from a host of different nationalities that are present today in the gallery. In particular I would like to acknowledge the Ambassador of Greece, His Excellency Charalampos Dafaranos, and his wife, Eva Dafaranos, and the High Commissioner of Cyprus, His Excellency Yannis Iacovou. I would also like to note the attendance in the gallery, from the United States of America, of Major General Roosevelt Mercer Jr, the Director of Plans and Policy, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; and the first Australian-born astronaut to journey to space, American Paul Desmond Scully-Power AM.

Whilst the electorate of Barton is culturally and religiously diverse, there is one defining element that unites us all, and that is family. I stand before you, the son of a Greek Orthodox parish priest, a person raised within a religious environment, and one in which life revolved around serving the needs of the community. It has recently dawned on me that, although I never followed in my father's footsteps in the church, our paths are more aligned than would meet the eye. I am very proud of the work my father has done in serving our community. My father has been serving the St George community for over 40 years. He has dedicated his life to improving the lives of his parishioners by looking after and fostering the spiritual, educational, welfare and cultural needs of the area. Growing up in my family, it was not uncommon to be taken to every type of event that you could imagine, attending weddings, christenings, funerals, cemeteries, hospitals—and the list goes on. From this I came to appreciate that such events are not for appearances but serve as a more important role in being able to interact with and absorb the issues that affect people. So at an early age I became very aware of the multitude of circumstances and challenges everyday people are faced with. Since very early, I was always taught and guided by the principles of family and faith, modesty and respect to my fellow human being, and I was firmly expected to strive in my education like my father, to apply all that I had received at all levels of my education for the benefit of all.

My parents migrated from Greece and were married in this country in the early 1960s, attracted to Australia by the fulfilled promise of a better life. The hardships in their country of origin had taught them a single and profound lesson: to work hard and honestly, and appreciate the value of education for their children, which they considered the key to a better life.

It was tolerance, unity and justice that my family instinctively applied in our upbringing and allowed me to grow, and moulded my life through hard family finances that were overcome only thanks to the highly-developed skills of the joint treasurers of the family, my father, John, and my mother, Ourania. Raising properly a family of five children was a herculean task at that time. They both worked hard, not only to provide for us but also to contribute to the greater Greek community of Kogarah, where they were pivotal in establishing a very successful Greek community association and an aged-care centre. I vividly remember my mother visiting hospital patients every Monday for over 30 years, something she did not out of obligation but out of her drive to assist those in need. Their combined efforts have been recognised and appreciated by many state and federal dignitaries and the ecumenical ecclesiastic authority.

With the gratitude my parents expressed in every manner and on every occasion for the blessed opportunity that their destiny held in relocating to this country, their constant reminder to all five of us—myself, my brother, Con; sisters, Sylvia and Chrissa, and my twin-sister, Irene—was: 'honour our name'.

Being a twin child of a Greek migrant family of seven, I have fully lived the experience of the cultural melting pot, amidst the struggle and sacrifices of our parents and grandparents who were the labourers that built the roads, the railways and the majestic Snowy Mountains scheme. They were the factory workers, the coffee lounge owners and farmers whose children would later become builders, businessmen and professionals.

I was fortunate to attend good schools with committed teachers. I would like to pay tribute to the headmaster of Trinity Grammar School, Roderick West, whose comments when I was in year 7 have remained with me for life. He stressed the importance of utilising the opportunities and experiences that a well-rounded education could offer. I would also like to acknowledge the support and mentoring given to me by Max Taylor, the former director of the school's Society of the Arts, in developing an appreciation in the arts during my schooling career.

This experience was a lesson well learnt. It equipped me with social skills and proved valuable later in my life, in particular during my 14 years on Kogarah City Council, six years of which was as mayor. It is a highly multicultural place with diverse cultures of mainly Greek, Chinese and Arabic-speaking backgrounds, to name a few, all of whom live, work and prosper harmoniously.

During my 14 years on Kogarah City Council I received my taste for politics and love for serving my community. I am very proud of the achievements made whilst I was on council. All councillors from all sides worked together in a collaborative manner to deliver the very best for the people of Kogarah. We upgraded Kogarah from suburb to city. We delivered a cleaner, greener and sustainable city.

Kogarah City Council was recognised as a leader in the field of environmental sustainability and Kogarah was named amongst the world's most liveable cities at the International Liveable Communities Awards in December 2012, along with being awarded the state and national title of Most Sustainable City by Keep Australia Beautiful. Kogarah won the New South Wales Green Globe Award for being the leader in sustainable water management in the state, and achieving a Sydney Water 5-star accreditation for total water cycle management. We implemented water-sensitive urban design using litter traps and baskets on all stormwater outlets, preventing rubbish and soil entering our precious waterways. We were and still are the only council in New South Wales to have implemented a sewer-mining program for irrigation purposes.

We fostered culture and arts by implementing the Kogarah Art Prize, which attracted national attention, and kicked off the mayor's Music at Twilight concert series and a widely supported public arts program. Our appreciation for our multicultural local government community saw us play host to a number of cultural festivities, such as Australia Day, TVB Jadeworld Carnival, the Asian Cultural Festival, the Being Greek Festival and the Boshonto Mela festival.

Upon my election to Kogarah City Council I recognised the council was in a poor financial situation. In response I drove the implementation of long-term financial planning, disciplined fiscal management and I can proudly boast that the council is debt-free and one of a handful of New South Wales councils that received a positive report card from the New South Wales government. I am also proud to say that Kogarah City Council provides quality services for a lower budget and fewer staff than most in the state.

We did not accomplish this by imposing more and more costs onto the ratepayer. We accomplished this by implementing strategic and innovative measures. Through all my experiences on the council I have realised the importance of partnerships between federal, state and local governments, working together to provide services to the community. As I now embark on a new journey, serving a wider constituency, I will build on my experiences and knowledge, successes and milestones, to deliver even more for my area.

It is common practice when preparing for your maiden speech to peruse inaugural speeches made previously. There is one particular maiden speech that I would like to mention. It is the speech by former Liberal member for Barton James Bradfield. In his speech, when acknowledging the former member, Mr Bradfield stated 'I realise that he—' referring to Mr Reynolds—'came here under completely different circumstances from those under which I came here only on the day before yesterday. He came here when the economy was healthy and when everything was rosy. On having a glance at his maiden speech I noticed that it was unnecessary for him to talk on matters of the economy. We did not have any of those problems then. We did not have the problems that are outlined in the Governor-General's Speech.' It seems that Mr Bradfield, who was a member of the Fraser government had, like us, inherited a problem, so there are certainly similarities. If we want to get Australia back on track, it is important that we direct funding for projects that will deliver real returns for all Australians. As custodians of the public purse it is unacceptable to waste hard-earned taxpayers' money on projects which deliver little or no benefit to our community.

The time has now come for me to thank those who have played a pivotal role not only in my current election but all the way through my working career. As I have mentioned, I have lived my entire life in the St George area, and although a career in parliament has not been a lifelong ambition, I am grateful for the opportunity to represent an electorate with which I share a lifelong association.

Firstly, I would like to thank the emeritus mayor of Kogarah, Sam Witheridge, for paving the road and giving me the opportunity to serve the people of Kogarah at the early age of 25. Life in politics, and being a citizen of a country where the 'fair go' is an everyday expression, has made me privileged to serve the nation that provided me with the opportunity to apply the principles and values of freedom, integrity and justice taught to me by my family and teachers.

I would like to acknowledge the friendship and guidance provided by the executive at Kogarah City Council, in particular the general manager, Paul Woods, and his directors Evan Hutchings, Rod Logan, Andrew Sharpe and Amit Chanan. There have also been some exceptional councillors who I have had the privilege to have worked with over my 14 years as a councillor. In particular I would like to acknowledge the late Councillor Col Ritchie, who served on the council for fifteen years. Those who had the opportunity to know Col would know that he was a formidable and imposing yet generous individual. For those reasons, and the fact that he always said what he felt and thought without holding back, he polarised how others viewed him. But what remains etched in my mind is his passion for the local community. Despite suffering for several years with a terminal illness, he continued to front-up to the council time after time and continued to fight for his constituents and what he believed in. Very few people have had as much of an impact on me as Col has, and I do miss his companionship. I would also like to acknowledge his beloved wife, Gai Ritchie, who is in the gallery today.

I would also like to acknowledge the previous mayors and longstanding Labor councillors Michael Platt and Nickitas Katris for the balanced approach that they have taken in fulfilling their duties. They have been strong advocates for their community and, irrespective of party politics, were always willing to work together with me in the interest of the community.

I would like to acknowledge the great friendship of and support received from the Deputy Mayor of Kogarah City Council, Councillor Annie Tang. She has been a great guide to understanding the large Chinese community within the electorate and together we have developed several partnerships that have generated beneficial cultural, social and learning exchanges. These partnerships have resulted in the gifting of two significant pieces of public art, one of Lei Bow and the other of Bruce Lee, and the design and construction of a major Chinese garden park in Kogarah, Ma'anshan Friendship Park. I would like to acknowledge the Shunde Association and the various community groups that have assisted in this coming to fruition. Representatives of these groups are in the gallery today.

I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the many men and women who worked tirelessly throughout the campaign to ensure that the people of Barton secured the representation that they deserve. I would also like to thank my fellow councillors: Mayor Stephen Agius, Councillor Sam Stratikopoulos, Councillor Nicholas Aroney, Councillor Nathaniel Smith and, in particular, Councillor George Katsabaris.

I would like to thank Rockdale City councillors Councillor Ron Bezic, Councillor Nick Micovski, Councillor Paul Sedrak, Councillor Lydia Sedrak, Councillor Petros Kalligas and, in particular, Councillor Peter Poulos. I would also like to thank Canterbury City councillors Councillor Michael Hawatt and Councillor Con Vassiliadis. I would also like to thank the Mayor of Hurstville City Council, Councillor Jack Jacovou. I have always believed that local government is the closest level of government to the people, and without that local knowledge and support our campaign could not have been as effective as it was.

I would also like to thank the following individuals who stood by my side throughout the campaign and were there without fail when needed to offer any support needed. These were: Bryce Macryannis, Nathaniel Openshaw, Byron Zhou, Sam Elmir, Rami Abdullah, George Vassiliadis, Costa Potiris, Jim and Yvonne Liaros, John Aslanidis, George Hatzikiriakos, George Mavrocordatos, Benjamin Jiang, Ye Feng, Wen Zhao, Nihong Chen, Juanling Zeng, Binkun Wan, Peng Qu, Weiliang Wang, Yuanyuan Wang, Hua Liu and Benjamin Chao AO and the many Young Liberals who committed to giving up their weekends throughout the campaign.

I would like to acknowledge all my supporters who have given so generously to support my campaign. There are too many to mention individually, but you know who you are and your support is very much appreciated. In particular, I would like to thank the many people in the gallery, who have made the journey to be a part of this important day. I would also like to acknowledge the support received by the ethnic media, some of whom are in the gallery today.

I would like to thank both of my former employers—in particular, George Cassim from CCS Partners and Bill Kamper from Kamper & Co—for the guidance and support that they have given me, throughout my career. I must stress that having to tolerate an employee who has been embroiled in public service as much as I have would have tried the patience of even the most tolerant of people.

In view of the history of this great electorate, Barton and my campaign did not attract the attention and support that was afforded to seats that were identified as marginal. There were, however, several people who had great belief in me, one important individual in particular: Senator the Hon. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who continually fought to secure the same opportunities for my electorate as were provided to other seats which were considered to be more winnable, even though this was a difficult assignment at times.

I would like to thank the Prime Minister, the Hon. Tony Abbott, for his support and belief and his genuine concern in the issues that affect my electorate. I would also like to thank the ministers who took time out of their busy schedules to support my campaign, these being our Madam Speaker, the Hon. Bronwyn Bishop, the Hon. Julie Bishop, the Hon. Joe Hockey, the Hon. Scott Morrison, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, the Hon. Greg Hunt, Senator the Hon. Eric Abetz, Senator the Hon. Arthur Sinodinos, the Hon. Luke Hartsuyker, the Hon. John Ajaka and former Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard.

Since being elected to council over 14 years ago, I have continually sought to improve the Liberal brand in the St George region. When first elected, the region had two Labor federal members, three Labor state members and only six Liberal councillors out of 39 across the surrounding councils. This has progressively shifted to two Liberal federal members, two Liberal state members and 16 Liberal councillors. This is a remarkable transformation for the Liberal Party in the St George region, and is clearly linked to our local representatives acting on behalf of the diverse community that resides in this great area.

As I also reflect on the diversity of this seat, it is important to note that the majority of seats with large populations of people who speak a language other than English or who were born overseas have not historically been held by the Liberal Party. Reference to census data from 2009 on the top 10 ranked seats in both of these rankings reflect this fact. I believe that there is much needed to be done to better reflect the changing face of our community and to remain relevant to the changing face of Australia's community into the future. The success of the Liberal Party in my seat of Barton and the seat of Reid should be used as a template to address this issue in the future. I am committed to ensuring that this gap closes and that we learn even more about how to communicate our message to all communities more effectively.

I would also like to acknowledge one of my opponents at the recent federal election, Rockdale City Councillor Michael Naji, who ran in the election with the goal of making Barton a marginal seat so that the community that he is so passionate about would finally see funding and resources go into much needed infrastructure after being neglected for so many years. Councillor Michael Naji's efforts have been rewarded, with Barton becoming one of the most marginal seats in Australia. I know he has worked tirelessly to deliver for his community and I make this commitment: I will take up his fight for them in parliament as well as the broader community.

I would also like to thank my godparents, Andrew and Eleftheria Condoleon, for all of the support that they have given me throughout my life. I would like to thank my in-laws, John and Diana Mitrothanasis, for the unwavering support that they have offered to me from when I first met my wife, Dorette. They too have been a part of this long journey and have stood by us at all times.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the vital importance and position that family has in my life. I have taken the values that I have learnt from my parents and I now apply the same family values in a more blessed way to raise, with my wife Dorette, our own family, with two children, lovely Renae and young John.

I would like to thank my wife, Dorette, for allowing me to serve in an area with which I have had a lifelong connection and to which I wish to give back so much. What most people would not know is that I was elected to council in September 1999 and married the week after, so Dorette has had to put up with me being away from home for countless evenings throughout our marriage whilst I attended to my duties. I am eternally grateful for all the support and love she has shown throughout this period, even when public life became difficult from time to time. Dorette has undertaken more than her fair share in raising our two beautiful kids, and is an impeccable mother and wife.

I thank my family for allowing me to serve and for understanding my struggle to balance long hours of public life and the precious time with you at the home that I love so much. Like my father before me, I aspire to raise our children to enjoy a bright future and a better quality of life.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable member for Petrie I remind the House that this will be the honourable member's maiden speech and I ask the House to afford the same courtesies to him as have just been afforded to the member for Barton.

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise today humbled by the responsibility placed in me by my community. I congratulate you on your election to the chair. When I first heard that you were to be nominated I thought that you would be an excellent choice and a fair Speaker, and that has proved an accurate prediction. Thank you for your help during my campaign.

To be elected the ninth member for Petrie is indeed an honour. I would like to acknowledge my predecessors, including the Hon. Yvette D'Ath and my colleague the Hon. Teresa Gambaro, now member for Brisbane and a great trailblazer for Liberal women. Teresa held Petrie for 11 years.

I acknowledge the Hon. Sir Alan Hulme, who was the very first member for Petrie and a former Minister for Supply and then Postmaster-General; and the Hon. John Hodges, who supported me during my campaign and represented this seat with distinction. These former members contributed to the rich history of the Petrie electorate.

I would like to take this opportunity to inform the House of the history behind the seat of Petrie. The division of Petrie was created in 1949 and was named after Andrew Petrie, a noted civil engineer, pioneer and explorer. Interestingly, the suburb of Petrie is not in the electorate of Petrie.

The Petrie electorate covers 152 square kilometres and extends from Cabbage Tree Creek in the south to Burpengary Creek in the north, and from the coastline of Deception Bay to Bramble Bay, located on the Redcliffe Peninsula.

Petrie is a diverse electorate with a vibrant culture and busy community centres. To all residents of Petrie: as your local member I say to you I have spent my life living in the local area and I am passionate about providing grassroots representation. I am your voice in Canberra.

Madam Speaker, I say to you and the people of Petrie: we have a bright future ahead. My constituents voted for change and I am immensely proud to be part of a government that has a positive plan to build a strong, prosperous economy and a safe and secure Australia.

I have been listening to the people in my electorate and the number one issue that has been raised with me is the need to create jobs. At present, my electorate has an unemployment rate well above the national average. I will be working every day to address the issue of unemployment by consulting small businesses and providing job seekers with information about the skills they need to find a job.

In order to create more jobs we need to reduce red tape, reduce taxes and provide support to small- and medium-sized businesses. Petrie is a great place to invest and grow a small business. Not only does my electorate have some of the fastest-expanding residential areas in Australia, including Griffin, Mango Hill and North Lakes, but we also have a number of key infrastructure programs commencing.

The government has committed $1 billion towards the Gateway Motorway, which will see the widening of lanes to ease traffic congestion currently experienced by motorists. The government has also committed funding to build the Moreton Bay Rail Link.

Petrie is a great place to visit for a weekend away or an extended holiday. The Redcliffe Peninsula is just 20 minutes north of Brisbane airport and has a long history as a holiday destination. Redcliffe has wonderful beaches, restaurants, accommodation and tourist activities which operate all year round. On Sunday mornings the Redcliffe markets set up along the Esplanade, with the iconic Redcliffe Jetty and Moreton Bay as a backdrop. Visitors and locals can enjoy breakfast, grab a coffee at one of the many cafes and restaurants or stroll along the Esplanade and enjoy some leisurely shopping on the shore of our magnificent seaside.

If you prefer to spend time on the water then I can highly recommend the whale-watching tours on offer. For the more adventurous thrill-seekers, Redcliffe offers skydiving. Redcliffe is the closest place to Brisbane city to skydive.

I must not forget the other suburbs in my electorate—suburbs like Deception Bay, Burpengary, Rothwell and those aspirational hardworking suburbs located in the Brisbane City Council. All of these suburbs form part of our great community and have lots to offer, including great schools.

With three young sons at school, extracurricular activities and homework are fixtures in our household. I had the opportunity to visit a vast majority of schools within my electorate to see firsthand what a wonderful job principals, teachers, chaplains and support staff do with our children and young adults. I strongly believe it is the parents' responsibility to provide for their children and to give them the best possible start to life, and that includes education. We all know the significant role teachers play in our children's lives. Not only are they teachers; they are the people who spend the most time with our children during their school years. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the educators in our schools for the fantastic job you do.

In Australia we are privileged to have a world-class secondary education system that attracts international students from across the globe. Not only do these students obtain a top-class education; they contribute greatly towards our economy. I support the government's plan to foster international educational opportunities through the implementation of the Colombo Plan. The plan will see our brightest minds study overseas whilst at the same time providing opportunities for foreign students to come to Australia. I believe we are the lucky country, with open minds and compassionate hearts, and I hope our international students return home with good news about the wonderful country Australians call home. I am proud of the role we play in international education and knowledge sharing with today's youth. It is these youth who will grow into tomorrow's leaders.

Since my fellow members and I were sworn in at the beginning of this 44th Parliament I have had time to reflect on what motivated me to represent the seat. Whilst I was heading to Canberra this week I reflected on the journey I have travelled during my life. As my aircraft took off from Brisbane airport I saw the Petrie electorate from the air as we flew across Moreton Bay. I reminisced about the time I spent with my father when I was a child, fishing in the bay and camping on the banks of Saltwater Creek at Mango Hill during one of many mud-crabbing expeditions. Growing up in Bracken Ridge, I was fortunate to have a typical suburban upbringing in a stable family environment. My parents, Ron and Denise Howarth—who are in the gallery today—met on a Queensland dairy farm and were married in 1968. They did a wonderful job of raising me and my younger sister, Gemeah.

Mum was a steady hand who was always there to provide support, from helping with our homework to running us around for sporting events and disciplining us when we stepped out of line. Mothers are the silent heroes of our community, so I want to say a big thankyou to all the mothers in my electorate. I am proud to stand up and represent you in this place.

My Dad, who had a pretty ordinary upbringing, left school and moved away from home after completing grade 5. He is an inspiration and a great example to me, and he has taught me about the importance of possessing a strong work ethic. Dad owned his very first home outright and had started his first business by the time he was 21. With his drive and determination, and ability to satisfy a need in the community, he owned several small businesses, including a second-hand shop, a furniture removals business and then a business building greenhouses. This business he later swapped for a pest control company, which has been in our family for more than three decades.

My extended family have also provided me with a strong sense of history. Three of my grandparents served in World War II, which sparked my interest in the defence forces from a very early age. I will never forget Anzac days with my late grandfather, having a beer after the dawn service and remembering his mates who did not come home. We owe a debt of gratitude to the generation who fought for Australia, and we must never forget their legacy and sacrifice. We must also not forget those who have sacrificed their lives and those soldiers who have returned from theatres of war such as Iraq and Afghanistan with both physical and mental injuries. We need to make sure their sacrifices and their decisions to go willingly into a war zone do not go unnoticed. We need to ensure that our soldiers continue to receive the support they need both on and off the battlefield. That is why I am proud of the coalition's commitment to restore defence spending and to ensure that our military personnel are well trained and well equipped to effectively carry out operations in all theatres of war.

It is simply unacceptable that in the last six years Labor cut over $16 billion from our defence force budget and put our national security at risk. Speaking of budgets, before entering parliament I managed the family business. Running a small family business with a team of people really does give you a good understanding of the challenges SMEs deal with on a daily basis. During the years of the global financial crisis our family business performed well. We balanced the books and avoided debt, had good cash flow, and invested in our staff. After many years of spending, it is now time for the nation to balance its books. The former government approached the GFC by running huge deficits. I would like to ask this question: can a government take credit for good economic management when their plan to stimulate was to rack up billions in debt? I wondered at the time how former Treasurer Peter Costello would have handled that situation. I suspect it would have been quite different. After all, anyone can spend money they do not have. The good news is that at the last election the Australian people elected a coalition government, who are proven economic managers and have a vision to bring the budget back to surplus.

I feel it is important to inform the House and the Petrie electorate of how I came to be here today. It was back in 2009 that I spoke to my wife, Louise, about taking the boys on a journey around Australia to show them the vastness and diversity of our country, from the bustling cities to the wide open spaces of our remote outback. So in 2011 we rented out our home, hooked up our caravan and set off to explore. And explore we did. We saw the beauty of our vast coastlines, the mountains where the boys learnt to ski and the southern tips of Australia down in Tasmania. We visited cities and towns from the Great Ocean Road to the wineries in South Australia and across the Nullarbor before heading into Western Australia and onwards from there.

During the trip we really did all learn so much about our wonderful country. However, for me and my family, this trip will always hold a significant place in our family's history as it was during this trip that we made the decision that I would run for the federal seat of Petrie. The decisions the Labor government was making were hurting Australians. I was very concerned at the time that just three years on from the end of the Howard government much of the wisdom, statesmanship and great policy achievements of John Howard were being overturned. With my experience in small business, I was appalled that the level of Australian debt was increasing so fast that Australia had never witnessed such a turnaround in three short years. The strong border protection policies of the Pacific Solution that had been proven to work were overturned by Labor without any thought about the consequences.

Then, whilst in WA, as we headed north into cattle country, we saw for ourselves the devastation of the knee-jerk decision by the previous Labor government to ban live exports without any consultation. We saw communities that suddenly had their livelihoods taken away and family incomes destroyed overnight. As we headed south from Darwin we passed road trains with huge signs written across the back saying 'No carbon tax' and 'Call an election now'.

It was at this point that I decided to run and, by winning, I knew I would help deliver a coalition government. I am proud to be part of the Abbott government. At the beginning of the election campaign I remember sitting down with the then Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, at a coffee shop, and the words he spoke to me will never be forgotten. He said: 'Luke, this election is not about us. It's not about you becoming the local member or me becoming Prime Minister. It's about better government for all Australians.' The Prime Minister, the Hon. Tony Abbott, is a man of integrity and a leader that truly cares about all Australians.

Whilst travelling around Australia, I was in awe of Australia's landscapes, which fuelled my love for the environment. During my campaign some of the most productive times I had were with the local environment groups. Together we planned activities that will truly benefit the environment. These green army proposals are a practical and positive part of our direct action plan—a plan that includes one million additional homes throughout the country installing solar panels over the next decade. I am pleased to say that almost 13,000 homes in the Petrie electorate have already made the switch to solar, which is helping the environment and reducing homeowners' cost of living.

Madam Speaker, as you would know, campaigning is tough and you cannot run a successful campaign without support from your volunteers, supporters, party members, family, friends and those members of the community who offer to help you along the way. I did not win this seat on my own, and whilst I cannot mention everyone here today, I do want to send a big thank you to everyone who was involved in my campaign. Their time, commitment and enthusiasm got me over the line, and for this I am eternally grateful.

To all the community volunteers I have met on my journey so far: I have enjoyed meeting you, and I look forward to supporting your activities during the next three years. I know we can work together to create an even better place. To my parents and parents-in-law: thank you for your tireless campaigning and the support you provided both to me and Louise and to my campaign. To the Petrie FDC members and executive: thank you for your support; I greatly appreciated it. Thank you to the Young LNP for flooding my seat with blue shirts. There was always such energy when you came to town. There was never a task too large or small for you. To the organisational wings of the Queensland Liberal National Party and the federal Liberal campaign team: thank you for providing a well-organised campaign and structure and our winning plan. To my state colleagues, the members for Sandgate, Murrumba and Aspley: thank you for your support. To Senator Ian Macdonald, James McGrath and the entire 2013 Queensland Senate team: thank you for helping the Petrie campaign. To my patron senator, Sue Boyce: thank you for your thoughtful and considered advice. During your time in the other place I know you have achieved great things, particularly in the areas of disability and small business.

I would like to thank some of my Queensland colleagues in this place: the member for Longman, Wyatt Roy, and the member for Bowman, Andrew Laming. Your enthusiasm and great campaigning ideas were much appreciated. To the 'big guns of politics' who threw some credibility behind my campaign events: I would like to thank the member for Groom, the Hon. Ian MacFarlane, and the member for Curtin, the Hon. Julie Bishop. Your encouragement was inspirational.

To the Hon. Greg Hunt, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, the Hon. Christopher Pyne and the member for North Sydney, the Hon. Joe Hockey: thank you for believing in me. And to all those ministers that travelled to my electorate: thank you. To the Hon. Tony Abbott and the Chief Whip, the Hon. Phillip Ruddock: thank you for your continued support and for taking the time to visit me in the electorate of Petrie. To my friend and colleague the member for Dickson, the Hon. Peter Dutton: Peter, you have been a great supporter of mine. Your experience, knowledge and mentoring before and during my campaigning really gave me the confidence to know that my campaign was on track and that I could win. Thank you. To the excellent staff at our family business: thank you for your patience and support and for running the show without me.

I have saved my last thanks for those most dear: my dear wife, Louise, and my three sons. Louise, you are a wonderful partner, and together we make a great team. You were the rock for our children while I was busy campaigning, and you continue to hold our family lives together. Your wisdom, support and organisational skills make it possible for me to be here today representing the electorate of Petrie. To my boys William, Thomas and Samuel: thank you for sharing your dad with the electorate of Petrie. I hope that through my work and the efforts of my parliamentary colleagues we are able to give you a prosperous future with endless opportunities. To the community of Petrie: my journey as your member of parliament may be bumpy at times, yet I can assure you I have the drive to ensure that you have a member interested in what you have to say. I affirm my pledge that I will work hard to ensure a brighter future for each one of you and the electorate of Petrie as a whole.

I wanted to end with a simple belief of mine, just four words: 'Life is about relationships.' I truly believe this. The most important relationships in my life are: (1) my relationship with God, as a man of strong faith, and (2) my relationship with those people around me—my friends, my family, my neighbours and my work colleagues in this place. At the end of the day, when everything else is gone, relationships are what count.

Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Following those two very good maiden speeches by the member for Barton and the member for Petrie, let me wish them all the best from this chamber in their parliamentary careers. You can tell from what they have had to say how well thought through their arguments are likely to be in coming debates in this chamber.

We enter this chamber with massive campaign efforts provided to us by our campaign teams and our families. In this address in reply, it would be remiss of me not to mention my own campaign team and my family—my wife, Deborah, and my three sons, Riley, Darcy and Toby—for the great effort that they have put in to support me in my career. Let me also mention my Liberal opponent, Donna Gordin, who campaigned tirelessly for six years for the opportunity to represent the people of Brand. Donna is a hardworking local candidate. She worked very hard and she fought very fairly. I felt very sincerely that Donna's campaign efforts were well-intended and well-meant and I thank her for that.

I rise to speak for a local family, the Morton family, whose great strength and humanity amid the shattering loss of a daughter has resulted in safer skies for Australians travelling in aircraft around the world—safer because of the work done by the ATSB and DFAT consular services to serve better and more quickly Australians abroad who are involved in air crashes. I detailed these significant measures in a speech that I made in February in this place with the Hon. Judi Moylan. I again raise matters following the crash in Zambia of the Cessna airplane known as ZS-KOX, in which six people died. I acknowledge also in the chamber Mr Don Randall, the member for Canning, who also takes a personal interest in this matter, and I thank him for that.

Justine Watters, her husband, Matt, and Matt's mother, Shirley, were three of the people who died in the crash of ZS-KOX on 9 September 2004. Others who died were Justine's friends from England, Justin and Rebecca Ward, and the Canadian pilot, Mike Channer. Shirley was 58, and the four friends were aged 26, and the pilot was 24. ZS-KOX was a South African registered and maintained Cessna aircraft operating temporarily in Zambia. It was owned by Mr Keith Downing and maintained by authorised maintenance organisation Nelair Engineering.

Let me remind the House of the events of 9 September 2004 in the skies over the beautiful Victoria Falls. Justine and Matt were on a two-week holiday in Zambia and had flown from Mfuwe in eastern Zambia to Livingstone to view Victoria Falls. Shortly after the return flight began, the propeller fell off at 8,000 feet, and six minutes later the plane crashed, killing all on board. I have been informed that this is the first time in South African aviation history a propeller has come off in this way.

While suitable landing sites were available, the pilot, Mike Channer, heroically struggled with reduced visibility due to engine oil on the windscreen, which probably affected his ability to find a suitable landing area, resulting in the aircraft impacting trees at the eastern end of an uncultivated field. In effect, Mr Channer tried to land a plane with six people on board with no power, no balance and no visibility. The crash was deemed by investigators not to be survivable due to the magnitude of the deceleration and the post-impact fire.

I first spoke in this place on this matter in February this year and I acknowledge now, as then, the tireless work by officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and by the Hon Judi Moylan MP. I also acknowledge the efforts of authorities in South Africa, but I urge: let's not stop. Let's carry this work through to a proper conclusion.

Since February, there have been further developments in these matters, about which I will now update the House. A joint demarche was presented to the South African Civil Aviation Authority, signed by the High Commissions of Australia, Canada and Britain. The demarche, dated 8 February 2013, among other matters sought assurance for the three governments that the South African Civil Aviation Authority had handed relevant evidence over to the South African National Prosecuting Authority. The demarche also sought to clarify the relationship between Nelair—the aircraft maintenance organisation at the centre of the allegations—and Raylen Turbine Services, which is said to be a phoenix company in the air maintenance business in South Africa.

This is an important matter. This matter goes to justice and this matter goes to air safety. If a new or phoenix company has arisen from the crash of ZS-KOX to again trade in aircraft maintenance then there are matters of safety and justice that need to be answered. Assurances were sought that the principals of the air maintenance organisation responsible for the maintenance of ZS-KOX would not be permitted to operate in a new air maintenance company until proper investigation and resolution of matters relating to the ZS-KOX crash.

The Zambian Department of Civil Aviation, with assistance from the Australian Air Transport Safety Bureau and the American National Transportation Safety Board, conducted an investigation into the reasons for the crash. I would like to bring to the attention of the House areas of concern as a result of the Zambian Department of Civil Aviation's report. I will quote from the conclusion of the Zambian Department of Civil Aviation report at 3.2(a) causes:

The investigating team determines that the cause of this accident was the in-flight detachment of the propeller from the aircraft as a result of loss of preload of the propeller assembly attachment studs.

At (b) 'Probable contributing factors,' it says:

(i) Improper torque of the propeller studs;

(ii) Failure to wire lock the studs allowed the studs to back out of the propeller hub assembly resulting in the separation of the propeller from the aircraft;

(iii) Failure to follow correct propeller installation procedures; and

(iv) Failure to use identifiable manufacturers' approved parts.

Soon after the accident Mr Pine Pienaar, Chief Executive Officer of Nelair Engineering—the air maintenance organisation servicing the plane in South Africa—confirmed in writing that the Propeller of ZS-KOX was removed by Nelair, 130 operating hours before the crash, and inspected 30 operating hours before the crash. The investigation report clearly cites the cause of the accident as in-flight prop separation due to improper maintenance. Maintenance was only allowed to be carried out on the plane in South Africa, which was the state of registration of ZS-KOX. The South African Civil Aviation Authority approved aircraft maintenance organisation Nelair Engineering carried out the last three mandatory periodic inspections—MPIs—which included the removal and refitting of the prop in January 2004.

The final mandatory periodic inspection and other maintenance were carried out by Nelair only 19 days before the accident. Despite Nelair's claim that the propeller and mountings were examined as part of the inspection and found to be fully serviceable, the forensic analysis clearly showed that the propeller studs were improperly installed and the nuts inadequately torqued.

It is the case that Shirley, Matt and Justine Wafters, Justin and Rebecca Ward, along with pilot Mike Channer lost their lives as the result of poor maintenance and inferior parts. I am informed that in 2006, the late Dr Ian Phillips of the South African Department of Transport, assisted the South African Civil Aviation Authority in looking into the crash. Dr Phillips informed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that the South African Civil Aviation Authority had audited Nelair and, as a result, revoked their aircraft maintenance organisation licence. Five other planes were also grounded at that time. Dr Phillips stated that the cancellation was permanent, and that the Department of Transport would vigorously resist any efforts by Nelair to obtain their aircraft maintenance organisation licence again. Dr Phillips has, unfortunately, since died.

Internationally Civil Aviation Authorities are bound by annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which serves to prohibit them from prosecuting offenders for negligence. They must refer the matter to the relevant judicial authority. Some time ago, Mr Levers Mabaso of the South African Department of Transport, referred the crash of ZS-KOX to the South African National Prosecution Authority—the NPA—for review. The National Prosecution Authority then referred the matter to the police for an investigation. Advocate Brendenkamp of the Pretoria Office, National Prosecution Authority, had oversight of the investigation. The matter had been with The National Prosecution Authority since 19 April 2009. Despite tireless efforts by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Pretoria and the South African National Prosecution Authority, full documentation has not been obtained from the South African Civil Aviation Authority, which claim the key precrash maintenance file is lost.

A board of inquiry was cancelled with no clear reason given. Last year, parts analysed by the American National Transportation Safety Board, and held in a restricted storage area by the Zambian Department of Civil Aviation went missing. A letter written by the South African National Prosecution Authority, dated 13 September 2012, highlighted their frustrating search for the truth. It said:

The time delay and failure of the relevant Civil Aviation Authorities to notify the South African Police Services, within a reasonable period of time, that a criminal investigation is called for, has resulted in crucial evidence being lost and unaccounted for. In this regard one of the files of the South African Civil Aviation Authority, in regards to the aircraft ZS-KOX, been lost and is still unaccounted for. Furthermore, the aircraft components that failed were shipped from Zambia via South Africa to the United States of America where they were forensically examined. After the examination they were shipped by the National Transport Safety Board, Washington DC, to the Department of Civil Aviation, Zambia. The Department of Civil Aviation returned the components to the National Transport Safety Bureau for reasons that are unknown to the National Transport Safety Bureau. The National Transport Safety Bureau then shipped the components back to the Department of Civil Aviation, Zambia.

The Director of Civil Aviation, Zambia, informed us that the components are missing and cannot be traced. Officials from the High Commissions of both Australia and the United Kingdom recently visited and met with the Director of Civil Aviation, Zambia. Upon their return they informed us that the components are still missing but that the Director of Civil Aviation undertook to conduct a renewed search for the missing components. The Director of Civil Aviation has now informed us that the renewed search was unsuccessful and that the components cannot be traced.

Key documents have gone missing from the South African Civil Aviation Authority and the analysed aircraft parts have gone missing from a secure facility with the Zambian Department of Civil Aviation. Early on, the National Prosecution Authority identified that possibly culpable homicide had been committed.

We have been advised that because the key precrash technical file has gone missing from the Civil Aviation Authority office and key evidence has gone missing from the Zambian Department of Civil Aviation secure premises, a criminal prosecution is now unlikely. And so, nearly a decade after the crash, we are left with (1) a phoenix-style rebirth and name change so that Nelair is effectively back in the aircraft maintenance organisation business; and (2) a case for the South African Civil Aviation Authority to answer.

How do we know that Nelair is effectively reborn? Mr Simon Segwabe, Acting Senior Manager (Airworthiness) at the South African Civil Aviation Authority wrote to his management, who included Mr Zakhele Thwala, Mr Subash Devekaran, Ms Monica Sonjani and Ms Cathy Teague, on the 12 September 2012. In part, he wrote:

Based on her findings it can be concluded that there is a fine line between Nelair Engineering and Raylen.

Facts:

1. Raylen = Nelair reading the word Raylen backwards basically reads Nelair:

2. The Staff/principals in both companies are basically the same

3. Facilities used and shared responsibilities are within the same team or ownership.

4. There is enough evidence to conclude that the organisation is indeed related or operating under new name.

He continued:

Whilst South African Civil Aviation Authority was busy with the safety audit/inspect at the Older Nelair, an organisation was certified by South African Civil Aviation Authority at Lanseria airport by the name Raylen. This organisation had appointed Mr. Willie Snyman whom is the son-in-law of Mr Pine Pienaar.

This is Nelair with another different name.

He concluded:

… this matter should be referred to criminal law enforcement agency .... Detailed information on the latest regarding this matter can and should be referred to the Hawks: Signed Simon Segwabe Acting Senior Manager- Airworthiness.

The 'Hawks' Mr Segwabe refers to are the police's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. This unit is known as the Hawks. The South African government should investigate the conduct of the South African Civil Aviation Authority. In February I, along with Judi Moylan MP, tabled documents in regard to these matters.

I seek leave to table further correspondence and documents that have recently come to light and to bring the record up to date. They are various documents relating to the period 2004-09: the National Prosecution Service correspondence, correspondence and memos relating to certain dates and time, the actual demarches from Australian and Canadian authorities and the latest letter from Mr Sam Morton to Minister Bishop.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave granted.

Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the government. I extend my condolences to the families so sadly bereaved by these tragic events. I pay tribute to the families in Canada, the UK and here in Australia and to the great humanity of Mr Sam Morton. The skies should be safe; however, crashes will happen. When near misses or crashes and deaths happen they should be investigated and remedies put in place so that our skies remain safe. This matter will not go away.

I plead with the South African government: justice has already been delayed. Let us not to allow justice to be denied. I again call on the South African authorities to fully investigate and take action on these matters; to properly understand the events leading up to and following the crash; to take action if necessary against individuals; and to prevent a phoenix company from rising from this crash. I have written to the South African authorities seeking further investigation and action to keep the skies safe. I thank successive Australian foreign ministers Downer, Smith, Rudd, Carr and now Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, for their tireless support. I thank governments of the United Kingdom and Canada for their tireless advocacy for justice for their citizens in these matters. I thank the South African authorities for their work and continued attention to this matter.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, Mr Deputy Speaker: I know this is highly unusual but, just very briefly on indulgence, I would like to associate myself with the comments made by the member for Brand on this tragic issue involving Nelair and the phoenixing of this company. I will be saying something about this at a later time, but I would like to congratulate the member on pursuing this matter, and I will be doing the same.

Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to speak to the address-in-reply. It is a great honour to be re-elected as the federal member for La Trobe. I first acknowledge the former member for La Trobe, Laura Smyth, and wish her all the best for the future. I am also sad to see that the former member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella, will not be returning to parliament. This is a great shame. And Senator Helen Kroger's term will conclude next year. That is another great shame. I must thank the people of La Trobe for their trust and for allowing me to be their voice in parliament. I will devote myself to ensuring the place we call home is an even greater place to live. For those who voted for me, I thank you for the honour of being your representative. I will work hard to prove that your faith in me is well founded. For those who chose otherwise, I will work hard to win your favour and will continue to represent you to the best of my ability.

I was first elected back in 2004 into a strong Howard government. John Howard was truly a great Prime Minister. Under Howard and Treasurer, Peter Costello, the coalition paid back $96 billion of Labor's debt. In La Trobe, back in 2004, in our campaign we promised to do many things that we delivered on, one of which was to build the Bryn Mawr Bridge in Beaconsfield for $10 million. At the same time, the Labor Party committed $25 million for the bridge. Under the Howard government, we built the bridge for $8 million. Labor was prepared to waste $17 million. We also promised $800,000 to Fernley House for palliative care. This meant that family members and patients who were already dealing with a very difficult, tragic situation no longer had to travel either to Box Hill or Caulfield to receive palliative that they so desperately needed. They could now simply go to Fernley House in their own electorate of La Trobe.

We engaged with the community and delivered lights to the Boronia Football Club and upgrades to the Basin football and cricket clubs, and Upwey RSL received $220,000 under our leadership. Essential traffic lights were installed in Officer, which allowed parents to safely drop their children to school. The Shangri La Wildlife Shelter received funding for the first time ever from a council, or from a state or federal government. Well done to Rod and Tina for their great work in rescuing, and nursing back to health, injured wildlife. Burnja Performing Arts Centre in Upwey received $2.5 million and Gemco Performing Arts Centre in Emerald received $450,000.

The Howard government's Investing in Our Schools program saw local schools receive up to $150,000 each. I recall Mount Dandenong Primary School had brand-new playground equipment installed, and Berwick Lodge Primary School wanted a radio station, so they got a radio station. The school communities determined what they wanted—because this is how we service them best—and they got what they wanted. In 2006, I am very proud to say that after discussions with the Ferny Creek Scouts about the need for water tanks, new gutters and associated plumbing for scout halls, I took the idea to Prime Minister John Howard. He agreed with our views, and not only did we ensure that the Ferny Creek Scout Hall got the water tanks but also we made sure that every scout hall in Australia would receive the same, and committed $17 million to the project.

What is interesting to note about all these local promises and commitments is that there were no allegations of waste and mismanagement of taxpayers dollars associated with them. In 2007 former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd walked into a $20 billion surplus. But through his actions, together with those of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, we now have a $400 billion black hole, and we borrow over $80 million per day with an annual interest bill of $10 billion. It was a great contest between Prime Minister Rudd and Prime Minister Gillard for who could come up with the dumbest policy ideas and waste the most money. But there was no clear winner, so the Labor Party as a whole must get the award—sadly at the Australian people's expense.

Let us look at a snapshot of some of Labor's schemes which were developed when it was last in government. There was cash for clunkers. There was GroceryWatch, which cost $7 million. There was FuelWatch, which cost $20 million. There was the set-top box program, which cost $67 million. There was the carbon tax advertising, which cost $69 million. In Senate estimates, we found out that $100,000 had been spent on building a fake kitchen—what a waste of money! There was the immigration budget blow-out of $10 million, yet 50,000 people arrived on our shores illegally during the last Labor government. There was the pink batts—or home insulation—scheme, which cost $2.4 billion. With the pink batts scheme there was widespread rorting of the system, 224 house fires and—very tragically—four deaths. In fact, Jackie and Alex Quieretem from Berwick contacted me with their concern that the installation they had installed in their house was a fire danger. Sure enough, they were right: Jackie and Alex's house was one of 250,000 houses in Australia which were deemed unsafe and had to be rendered safe. What a waste of taxpayers money it all was.

But that is all in the past, thankfully. Let us look to the future under an Abbott government. Locally, the commitments we made in various forms made during the election campaign span the electorate of La Trobe. The Abbott government committed $3 million to the reduction of bushfire fuel and to weed eradication—which is very important to people in my electorate—in the Dandenong Ranges. For this commitment I must thank my friend the Hon. Greg Hunt, as we only were able to make the commitment through his personal intervention. I find it amazing that I made announcements of commitments during the 2007 and 2010 campaigns and that they were never matched by Labor or supported by the Greens. Only a Liberal government will truly look after the Dandenong Ranges.

The Abbott government has committed $1 million towards Windermere to complete the purpose-built Toomah Centre, which will offer care and support services for vulnerable families and individuals. I acknowledge the great work of the CEO of Windermere, Dr Lynette Buoy, and her amazing staff and board. The Abbott government has committed $1.5 million to complete a school for the blind and vision-impaired at the Berwick Campus of Monash University. I must congratulate Alan Lachman, who has worked tirelessly with his wife, Maria Franca, and his three daughters, Sabrina, Alessandra, and Francesca. At the moment there is no school like this in Victoria, and I strongly support the Insight Education Centre for the Blind and Vision Impaired in all the work they do. I again must thank The Hon. Greg Hunt, as well as the Hon. Senator Mitch Fifield, for their great support in ensuring that we could make this commitment to the school for the blind and vision-impaired. It was made the Thursday before the election, so there was no media; it was just one of those things which we believed that, as Liberal members, we should deliver as a promise.

The Abbott government has committed $1.5 million dollars to Emerald Primary School so that it can build a new basketball facility and home ground for the Emerald Lakers. I thank the principal of Emerald Primary School, Mark Carver, the former president of the Emerald Lakers, Rob Fredericks, and the Emerald Primary School community. Working with them has been a pleasure, and I look forward to creating a better educational environment for our children. The government has committed $50,000 to the Hilltop Recreation Association in Olinda to install adequate lighting. This will not only help the local sporting clubs at the Olinda Reserve but also bring light to the Melbourne Oxfam trail walks at the checkpoints. I thank the Hilltop Recreation Association—and, in particular, I thank Stephen Scott, who is otherwise known as Sid. I have worked closely with Sid since the inception of the Hilltop Recreation Association in 2007. Sid and I have a long association which goes back even to playing junior football together. Sid was a very good footballer. Sadly, I was not!

The coalition has committed $250,000 to the South Belgrave community project. This funding commitment means that the construction of new facilities for the South Belgrave Football Club and other community groups is now within reach. I say well done to Ian Bakens, who worked with me to secure this funding. The government has committed $500,000 to the building of a new pavilion in Emerald's Chandler Reserve. I thank the Emerald Football Club, Emerald Netball Club, Emerald Cricket Club and Avonsleigh Tennis Club. Local sporting clubs are often pillars of our community, and I am proud to be a part of a team which supports our local sporting institutions. I must also thank Bill and Robyn Kuys, who encouraged me to run again for parliament—especially when they realised that the Labor government did not support their club.

The Abbott government has committed $500,000 to the Upwey-Tecoma Community and Sporting Recreational Hub. I acknowledge the great work of Andrew Petterson, who worked with me behind the scenes to secure the funding needed for this rundown facility to be restored to a fully-functioning facility which can also serve as a meeting point during natural disasters. The government has also committed $450,000 to the eradication of wandering trad, a noxious weed which is infesting the 50 kilometres of creeks in the hills of my electorate and is a significant threat to the biodiversity of native plants in the area. Thanks again must go to the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, who, back in 2007, as environment minister, committed funding to eradicate wandering trad, only to have the funding overturned by the new Rudd government. I must thank the Hon. Greg Hunt, who since 2008 has been working with me on the project to eradicate wandering trad. We made commitments in the 2010 and 2013 campaigns. We will have the CSIRO look at undertaking research to see if we can eradicate the wandering trad for good through environmental control. The Labor Party and Greens do a lot of talking about the environment and the electorate of La Trobe, but only the coalition has made election commitments—and we deliver on our promises.

However, my number one issues for La Trobe are the prevention of youth suicide and increasing the awareness of mental health issues. At a national level, the most recent data available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics is from 2011. In total during 2011, 2,273 people tragically took their own lives. In this figure there were 483 people from Victoria. Between the ages of 15 to 24, there were 62 young people who are, heartbreakingly, no longer with us. Way too many young people have taken their lives and are no longer with us. As far as I am concerned, the only number that is acceptable is zero. We will never understand the pain and suffering their families go through, the toll it takes on fellow students at school and the emotional toll on the entire community. When I was a detective at Boronia and Knox criminal investigation branches, we had one of the highest levels of attendance at suicides. I have completely lost count of how many suicides I investigated, how many suicide notes I read and how many families I comforted during those years as a detective.

I recently was at a fundraiser for beyondblue, organised by the Berwick Rotary Club—a fantastic event. There, Jeff Kennett, the former Premier of Victoria and now CEO of beyondblue, described suicide as having an excess of evil, depression, drugs and alcohol around you. The only question really is: which one comes first? The way I see it, my role in battling youth suicide and mental illness is to bring more counselling services to La Trobe and more activities for young people to escape the awful curse of depression, whether it be through sports or the arts. There need to be more opportunities to receive help when it is wanted and, more importantly, when it is needed. There is already some promise in this area with the headspace unit which will be opening next year in either Narre Warren or Berwick. I look forward to working with headspace to offer the youth in our area a wide range of health and wellbeing support, including mental health, general health, and help with alcohol and the curse of drugs. I also believe there is a strong need for a headspace centre to cater for young people in the Dandenong Ranges. I congratulate the Shire of Yarra Ranges for pushing this. This morning we had a very constructive meeting with the health minister, my friend the Hon. Peter Dutton.

There is a lot of work to do. I must say that all involved in government and council from all political parties and backgrounds are working together, and I will continue to do so in La Trobe, in Victoria, and in Australia, because this is not an issue that can be ignored or politicised; we need to sit up and take action on this.

Prior to my forced exit from parliament, I had the great pleasure of being the shadow parliamentary secretary for policing and law enforcement. I was appointed in 2008 by the then opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull as shadow parliamentary secretary for justice and public security, which under Tony Abbott's leadership changed to policing and law enforcement. As part of my role I developed, for the coalition, the law enforcement policy on gangs in the 2010 election campaign. The policy I developed focused on establishing a $33 million national violent gangs database and $95 million for an additional 200 investigators to be seconded from the AFP and state and territory police to the Australian Crime Commission to establish a national violent gangs squad. Sadly, the Labor Party has ripped the heart out of the Australian Crime Commission and they have basically stopped paying the bills for the seconded detectives, and now it is just an intelligence-gathering mechanism. It is very sad to see. The policy was designed to target all violent gangs, from youth gangs to street gangs, and to the ever-growing outlaw motorcycle gangs, as well as gangs involved in street shootings.

I am very proud to see, on the election of the Abbott government, the first major law enforcement announcement. The Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan, in conjunction with the states, announced $64 million towards creating a national antigangs taskforce, working through the Australian Crime Commission. The next focus on gangs must be to establish a national violent gangs database. This is the missing piece of the law enforcement puzzle when it comes to outlaw motorcycle gangs and all gangs, together with stronger unexplained wealth legislation. Both are very important tools to take on gangs.

It is also necessary to thank all the people who helped me during the election campaign. It was truly a great team effort. I cannot thank all my volunteers enough. Your hard work was invaluable and I cannot be more grateful for it. First of all, I would like to thank my campaign manager, Garry Runge, who is here with us today and is now my chief-of-staff. Thank you, Garry. I apologise to his wife, Sue, for dragging Garry through hell. My FEC chair, David Holmes, has always been a very great and loyal supporter. Branch members and supporters include Carol Porter, Joy Bishop, Pauline Heatherton, Brian Heatherton, Kaye Moreland, Mick Moreland, Andrew McNabb, Julie Hughes, Eric Richmond, Hubert Novak, Ken and Carmen Dainton, Janet Halsall, Atia Sadichzi, Suzzanah, Steve Hartney, Todd Coleman, Trevor Withers, Councillor Amanda Stapleton and Councillor Sam Aziz.

I must thank the Liberal Party state director, Damien Mantach. You did a fantastic job. I thank you and the deputy director, Andrew Cox, and also Simon Frost for all your great support through the campaign. I also thank state president Tony Snell, the committee, all the Liberal supporters and the staff at 104. You did a truly amazing job.

I must also thank the Hon. Senator Mitch Fifield, the patron senator for La Trobe. Mitch did a fantastic job. I also thank Senator Michael Ronaldson, Senator Helen Kroger, the Hon. Greg Hunt, the Hon. Christopher Pyne—thank you so much, Christopher—the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, Josh Frydenberg and the state member for Gembrook, Brad Battin. I also had very strong support from the Young Liberals and must thank Evan Mullholland and the Melbourne University Liberal Clubs' Michael Sabljak for all your great support. You guys are fantastic.

After losing the seat of La Trobe in 2010, I was invited back to Victoria Police and became a detective senior sergeant. I had previously worked for Victoria Police for 18 years. I would like to thank Inspector Mike Glinski, Michelle Wells and Crime Command for their support. Closer to home, I must thank my parents, Bob and Jan, for all their support. It is always tough on the family members of MPs as they often feel the heat of our political views and the way our parties make decisions.

The highlight of the campaign for many local residents was not the local political battle between Liberal and Labor. The media was very focused on our campaign Mascot, Mr Black, the Great Dane. Mr Black, thank you very much. You will be rewarded with your favourite treat: a pig's ear. Last, but definitely not least, thank you to my beautiful and lovely wife, Judy. She is up in the gallery today. Judy, you have been an absolutely fantastic supporter, coming to all the functions and putting up with me. I adore you and thank you for your support. I am pleased to announce to the House that we are expecting our first child in April next year.

In closing, it is again a great honour to serve the people of La Trobe. Thank you so much.