Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Acting Deputy President McGrath, you and I have many things in common and one of those things is our love for a great show—one of those great Queensland agricultural shows, which we have the honour of visiting across the length and breadth of Queensland. Whether it's in the beautiful town of Tully, or Marburg, nothing beats a great show.

On 14 May 2021 I was fortunate enough to attend Ipswich show day in the great Queensland city, Ipswich. I was representing the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Michael McCormack, in opening the Ipswich Events Centre. I should say that, while it was my obligation, my role and my responsibility to open the Ipswich events centre, I actually delegated that responsibility to someone who deserved that honour of opening the events centre far more than I did. That was a lady by the name of Elizabeth Jordan. At the age of 109, she is the longest serving exhibitor at the Ipswich Show by a country mile.

Just reflect on this: the first time that Elizabeth Jordan, aged 109, visited the Ipswich Show was when she was a child. So we're talking about someone who's been going to the Ipswich Show since about 1920. She was there on Ipswich Show day on 14 May 2021 for the opening of the Ipswich Events Centre. The way we did this was Elizabeth Jordan was the one who declared the centre open and I got the honour of pulling the ribbon. I pulled the ribbon for Mrs Elizabeth Jordan, aged 109, as she opened the Ipswich Events Centre.

I'd like to pay tribute to a number of people who advocated for the federal government to provide funds for the Ipswich Events Centre. These include past and present members of the Ipswich Show Society—and I will have more to say about them in the next few minutes; my colleague from Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson, who was a fierce advocate for construction of the centre; the previous Leader of the Government in the Senate, former Senator Mathias Cormann, who was also involved in discussions to fund the Ipswich Events Centre; and the current Mayor of Ipswich, my good friend Lord Mayor Teresa Harding, who was also involved.

The Ipswich Events Centre cost a total of $8.9 million and supported the creation of 497 jobs during construction. It not only provides a great meeting point and a great place for people to display their wears at expos et cetera; I in fact attended a small business expo in the centre a few weeks after the opening of the centre; it also performs an invaluable role as an emergency evacuation centre for the people of Ipswich. But a building is just that—it's just bricks and mortar. What provides the heart and soul of this building are the members of the Ipswich Show Society. I would like to pay tribute to the current executive team for their efforts in making sure that Ipswich had its show this year, in 2021. I pay tribute to Mr Darren Zanow. I also pay tribute to the vice-presidents, Andrew Cooper, Denise Hanly and Ross Young. I pay tribute to all of the members of the Ipswich Show Society Committee past and present and all the volunteers, whose invaluable efforts helped make the Ipswich Show a great success in 2021.

Apart from Mrs Elizabeth Jordan, aged 109, opening the event centre, the other great thing that occurred that day was the unveiling of a plaque commemorating Ipswich Show Society life members who sadly passed away during the course of 2020. I want to pay tribute to each of those life members who are now commemorated on that plaque in the Ipswich Events Centre: David Rodger, who served the Ipswich Show Society for 62 years; Vivian Zanow, with 54 years of service to the Ipswich Show Society; Sydney Haag, with 52 years of service; and, of course, David 'Rusty' Thomas, who provided leadership to the Ipswich Show Society and became a life member after 52 years of service. Those four great Queenslanders sadly passed away in 2020, and their service to the Ipswich Show Society and to the Ipswich community is commemorated on that plaque.

I pay tribute to all of the people who are involved in the Ipswich Show Society. I thank them for their endeavours and say to each one of them: you provide an outstanding example for all Australians of what it takes to make this country the best of all countries in the world to live.