House debates

Thursday, 4 April 2019

Statements by Members

Quirk, Mr Graham

1:33 pm

Photo of Trevor EvansTrevor Evans (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge and thank the outgoing Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk, for 34 years of great service to our city of Brisbane. Graham Quirk was one of the first elected representatives I ever met and he's proven himself over decades to be one of the best retail politicians right across Australia. He recorded huge popular votes across Brisbane, averaging 59 per cent and 68 per cent of the two-party vote for him as lord mayor, and his administration swept the board twice, winning 18 of 26 wards in 2012 and then 19 in 2016. His greatest legacies as Lord Mayor will include his stewardship and custodianship of Brisbane as it became a larger, more global and more confident city, as well as the landmark infrastructure projects that he's delivered, like the Legacy Way tunnel, the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade and construction of Howard Smith Wharves and the fruits of the recent city deal agreement for South-East Queensland.

Working closely with Lord Mayor Graham Quirk on the now fully funded Brisbane Metro project has been a highlight of my time in office so far. It's a project that will revolutionise the city's public transport offering and truly change the face of our great city. I want to give Graham and his wife, Anne, and his family my very best wishes for the future and their next adventures. Thank you, Lord Mayor, for your service to the people of Brisbane.