James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand here today in the Australian Senate a proud member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. As a Queensland senator, I strongly believe in the coalition between the Liberal Party and the National Party. Since 1949, the greatness of Australia has come from the people and long periods of coalition rule, where Liberals and Nationals have focused on the economic and national security of Australians. It is in the national interest that the coalition is reformed—indeed, reforged—sooner rather than later. Our disunity is giving a free pass to Australia's worst Prime Minister. So I encourage all my friends in the Liberal Party and in the National Party to focus on what unites us rather than any differences.

In our LNP Senate team of Susie, Matt, Paul and I, we have four strong fighters for Queensland from all corners of Queensland—two Liberals and two Nationals. We are members of the same party as Premier David Crisafulli and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner. Matt Canavan has done more to expose the hopes of net zero than anyone else in this country, proving that net zero is an economic dementor that sucks the energy out of the Australian economy. We've got Susie McDonald, who has forgotten more about northern Australia than most of us will ever know. Paul Scarr is the go-to person on understanding the modern, diverse Australia that is made up of multicultural communities. We work together as an LNP team, and I hope and pray we continue to work together as a coalition team.

So, as we move on from last year's election loss, I look forward to a reformed coalition bringing forward policies based on our shared values of lower taxes; smaller and better government; less regulation; building roads, dams and bridges for the future; trusting families, individuals and businesses to get on with their lives; trusting farmers; trusting small businesses; controlled immigration; and building aspiration through work and through homeownership. Our country, our home, is safer, stronger, richer, happier and more comfortable when the coalition is in power. For the sake of Australia, for the sake of Australians, I hope, I pray and I beg that the coalition is reformed—because it is not about us; it is about Australia.