James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Queensland is actually still a frontier state. We have so much growth in front of us as we look to the future, unlike some other states, whose best days are behind them, I fear. This was really pushed home to me when I spent a week up in the Gulf Country with Noeline Ikin, who was our candidate for the 2013 election for the seat of Kennedy. Noeline and I joined Senator Matt Canavan and Minister Barnaby Joyce in Normanton, where we officiated at the opening of new offices for Gulf Savanah Development Inc.—or GSD, as everyone up in Normanton seems to call it—with local mayors Fred Pascoe and Ernie Camp. After we safely packed off Barnaby to his next destination, which I understand was Darwin, we started on a journey across the cape, from Normanton and Karumba on one side, ending up in Bellenden Ker with Robyn Quick, who is our Liberal-National Party candidate for the state seat of Mulgrave at the coming state election.

For me as a new senator, and someone who cheerfully admits that he has much to learn, this was my first trip as a Queenslander to the Gulf Country. And it will not be my last, as I will be returning in the near future, being April, as an unnamed mayor—first name Fred, last name Pascoe—has promised to take me barra fishing, which helps sweeten my commitment to return.