Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to conclude my remarks on the address-in-reply to the Governor-General's speech. I ran out of time during my speech. Where I left off, I was discussing our positive local campaign that we put forward to the people of Swan at the election. As I said, we wanted to win the election on positivity, not negativity. I had just reached the fifth part of our five-point local plan.

Madam Speaker, you will not be surprised to hear that the fifth point is continued representation in Canberra for my constituents who are affected by aircraft noise. This remains an issue in the electorate of Swan and has been a particular issue since the previous government changed the flight paths back in 2008 with very minimal community consultation. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, including a Senate inquiry, which I will not go back over in my speech today due to the lack of time. However, I do want to make one point, and that is this. In the last parliament the Labor Party confirmed that they were the only party that is opposed to taking any sort of action on aircraft noise in Perth when they voted against the private member's legislation called the aircraft noise insulation (Perth Airport) amendment bill 2011, a bill that some may have referred to as the Moylan-Irons bill.

The Liberal Party, the National Party, the Greens party and the Independents were all in support of this bill, leaving only the Labor Party opposed. For months this legislation was delayed until a last-minute deal stitched up by the member for Grayndler saw a key Independent who had previously indicated support abstain from the vote, and it was lost by one. That member was Mr Windsor, who held the seat of New England. I am just letting my constituents know who the abstaining member was. Also, the other Independents who failed to meet their commitment were the member for Denison; the member for Lyne, Mr Oakeshott; and the member for Kennedy, Mr Katter. I hope my constituents are aware of those gentlemen not supporting the Moylan-Irons aircraft noise bill. The people of Swan live by an airport, but that does not mean flight paths should be changed without consultation. My constituents can be assured that as their local member I will continue to stand up for them in this parliament.

Just as we had a positive local plan, the coalition took a positive plan to the election, a plan of hope, reward and opportunity, a plan to stop the boats and the tragedies at sea. We promised to ease the cost-of-living pressures, a major issue out in the west, by repealing the carbon tax and repealing the mining tax, an anti-WA tax, to allow growth in my home state of WA. We put forward our plan to repair the budget, and I cannot tell you how many times during the campaign I was told by constituents that they were voting Liberal because they trusted us to sort out the budget mess. But, more than this, we promised to put the adults back in charge of this country—an end to the childish internal wars of the Labor Party that took up the complete focus of the previous government. And we are already delivering on those commitments.

Finally, I turn to my ongoing work in a couple of broader areas. I take this opportunity to state my continued commitment to representing the forgotten Australians and former child migrants, particularly as the work of the royal commission continues. The progress made over the years since the federal apology in 2009 has been significant, and the royal commission is continuing that healing process, but there is of course more to be done. As a patron of CLAN and FACT, I know I have a role to play in that process, as does the member for Kingston, who is a patron of CLAN as well. I ask all members to be aware of the special circumstances of the forgotten Australians during their constituency work over the next three years. Many have complex situations. I recently helped one such former ward of the state finalise his immigration status.

Secondly, I recommit myself to the work of the Standing Committee on Health, now in my role as the chair. The member for Kingston, who is here, is the deputy chair of that committee.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a combination!

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a combination, I know! During the previous five years, I have been privileged to serve on the committee as deputy chair, and we have conducted many worthwhile bipartisan inquiries. Unfortunately the previous government responded to only one of the seven reports requiring a response. As the chair, I will seek to do better.

Hopefully, in the time I have left I can convey that this is an exciting time for the electorate of Swan. Every corner you look around, there is something going on. There is development, large-scale projects and local enthusiasm. It is a great honour to be elected to represent the people of Swan as their federal member. I pledge to continue to deliver, and get results, for the people of Swan going forward. I am often told by constituents that I am well-known for my focus on local issues and my record of delivery. I look forward to the coming Senate election and hopefully to returning three Liberal senators to this place on 5 April.