Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is not a day that goes by when I do not feel immense pride in the privilege of being able to wear this badge that I wear on my lapel. It is the badge that I was given when I was first elected to this parliament by the good people of my electorate of Wright. This badge means so much to me. It is a constant reminder to me of the very early days when I campaigned in my electorate on the issues that I would help fight for. I campaigned that I would fight for more money to be put into the pockets of mums and dads throughout my whole electorate and into the pockets of business and everyone else. I campaigned that I would fight to provide better prices at the farm gate for my dairy sector, for my beef sector and for my vegetable sector—and I acknowledge that AUSVEG are in the House this week; they do an outstanding job advocating for the vegetable industry. And I campaigned that I would go after the bureaucracy and government about the countless amount of hours that are wasted on red tape.

I now have the privilege to stand in this House, and, when I look back at the government's contribution over the last year, I can put my hand on my heart and say that tonight I can go to bed and put my head on my pillow knowing that every day I have been working to deliver on those core principles that I committed to delivering for my electorate under the leadership of Tony Abbott, our Prime Minister.

When I first came to this House, there was a taxi service of boats coming to this country. We campaigned saying that we would stop the boats. We did it, and, as a result, saved our country $2.5 billion in the budget. When there is $2.5 billion extra in the budget, that is more money that mums and dads can get back in their pockets.

We campaigned that we would get rid of the mining tax—to stimulate growth, to stimulate employment. I compliment Greg Hunt's office, which to date has approved projects worth no less than $1 trillion—just under the size of the Australian economy. These environmental approvals will stimulate the next wave of infrastructure projects that will drive the job market. I compliment Andrew Robb, our Minister for Trade and Investment, who has done an outstanding job. Never before in the history of this parliament has there been an investment minister. I say to the nation: what a great return on investment that man is for our country. He is doing an outstanding job.

For my cattle producers, we have fought the fight that had to be fought to try to fix the mess of the live cattle export trade, and we have opened up six more trade markets. To our Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce: our agriculture sector owes you a debt. We heard today in this very House pretty well a market report on the exponential growth that this nation is experiencing at the saleyards right across the country. The Minister for Agriculture is doing an outstanding job.

We are moving forward into 2015 and, as on my first day here, I come here with a mantra, because I listened to my public, listened to my electorate, and they told me what they wanted me to deliver. I assure the electorate of Wright, the people of Queensland and the people of our nation that this government will continue to listen and will continue to produce policy that delivers on the principles that I stood for in coming here. We can have all the flash slogans, all the flash marketing, but to me there are three basic principles: we as a government want to deliver more money into the pockets of Australian mums and dads, we want a better price for our products at the farm gate and we want to reduce the burden of red tape for our businesses. (Time expired)