Speeches

Budget 2021 - 2022 -001 PAGE: 1 Queensland Parliament Hansard Green DATE: 17/06/2021 FILE: 17062021_001186_LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY_GREEN CHAMBER.DOCX SUBJECT: (no subject found) MEMBER: Ms LAUGA Ms LAUGA (Keppel—ALP) (9.45 pm): It is great to hear the member for Hinchinbrook and Katter's Australian Party talking up the Palaszczuk government's record education budget in this place. Ms Grace interjected. Ms LAUGA: I take that interjection from the Minister for Education. This is the first time that I have risen in this place since our good friend the member for Stretton passed away. Duncan was a good bloke. He was a friend to many of us in this place. He was taken too soon and I am still grappling with his passing. It feels like he is just on a holiday or something. I am sure that in the future many of us will have more to say about Duncan and his work. We miss him terribly. I offer my condolences to Duncan's parents, brothers, friends and family. Given the way that those opposite talk in this budget debate one would think that Queensland is falling apart. Those opposite say that Queensland's roads are falling apart, the hospitals are falling apart and the schools are falling apart. It is all drama and negativity. They are so negative. They actually sound like the used car salesman I dealt with when I traded in my first car, my beloved Betty, the white Holden Barina. The salesman said, 'The wheels are falling off, there are dings in the body, the paint is chipped, the brakes don't work and it is not worth much at all.' Just like those opposite, he talked down my car. He talked down the care and maintenance that I had given to it. He looked for every opportunity to give me the lowest price possible. He sounded just like those opposite as they talk down our great state. There are always lots of hidden fees when you are trading in a vehicle with a used car salesmen— or hidden cuts, as the LNP like to say. There are lots of hidden fees, lots of hidden cuts and lots of fine print in the contract. They said that there will not be any cuts, but then the Leader of the Opposition— asterisks—says, 'But it won't be savage.' There is always fine print when it comes to the LNP and their promises. I looked after my car, Betty. It did not miss a service. It had clean oil that was regularly topped up. The tyres and brake pads were newly replaced. I looked after my Betty Barina just as the Palaszczuk Labor government is governing with care and attention. All of us on this side have a great love for our state of Queensland, but those opposite are talking down this state—our state—like a used car salesman. They are talking down the economy, our future and the prospects of our great state for their own benefit. I would not want to be anywhere else in the world right now and that is only because of our Premier, our Chief Health Officer, our Deputy Premier and the nurses, doctors, healthcare workers and all Queenslanders who have worked so hard to keep our state safe from the global pandemic. Now our economic recovery is underway. Our economy has rebounded and the latest labour force data shows that unemployment in Queensland has dropped to 5.4 per cent, which is lower than before COVID. In Keppel the hotels are booked out. In fact, the owners of Oshen tell me that they could book out their hotel twice every night. The restaurants are full and tourism is booming. This budget demonstrates that Queensland's COVID-19 economic recovery plan is working. The budget invests in growth, jobs, infrastructure, services—including in health and schools—and growth right across Queensland. 063 In Keppel, this budget delivers on our election commitments. It delivers a record health budget with a $691 million investment in our Central Queensland Health and Hospital Service. This budget delivers the funding for the finishing touches on the $14.3 million, 42-bed detox and rehab centre in Rockhampton. It delivers funding to start work on the cardiac hybrid theatre at the Rocky Hospital so local people can get the stents in their arteries that they need without having to travel to Brisbane. It delivers the funding to refurbish and expand the mental health unit at the Rockhampton Hospital so more local people can get the mental health treatment they need close to home. I am incredibly proud to be Assistant Minister for Education in a government that is yet again delivering a record education budget, the Palaszczuk government's seventh record education budget, a record $15.3 billion state education budget investment in school and early childhood education which will deliver for Queensland children, students, teachers, teacher aides and tradies from Far North Queensland to the Gold Coast. http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx -001 PAGE: 2 Almost $1.9 billion in infrastructure spending will maintain, renew and build new facilities, including 10 new schools and other facilities supporting more than 4,100 jobs across the state. This continues our proud record of giving every child a great start and engaging young people in learning, no matter where they live. The Speaker has reviewed and approved my budget speech for incorporation. As such, I ask that the remainder of my speech is incorporated into the Record of Proceedings. Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Walker): Member for Keppel that has been approved for incorporation. The speech read as follows— The incorporated portion of this speech has not been included as it has not yet been provided http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx

Budget speech 2018 -001 PAGE: 1 Queensland Parliament Hansard Green DATE: 13/06/2019 FILE: 13062019_000763_LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY_GREEN CHAMBER.DOCX SUBJECT: (no subject found) MEMBER: Mrs LAUGA Mrs LAUGA (Keppel—ALP) (5.23 pm): I rise this evening to speak in support of the appropriation bills that are before the House. In doing so, I want to highlight a number of the commitments and initiatives included in this budget that will support and grow jobs and grow prosperity in Central Queensland, in particular in Keppel. In her budget speech the Treasurer talked about this being a budget for the regions. I really think this is a budget for regional Queensland. It is a tourism budget and an agriculture budget. It goes to the heart of education and health and creating jobs in our regions. In particular, I am very impressed and very pleased to be delivering millions of dollars worth of education infrastructure. I note that this is a record Education budget. I know that the teachers, students and parents in Central Queensland and right across Queensland will be very pleased to see that this record budget is delivering $1.35 billion in education capital works expenditure. I think that is marvellous. Not only is it about improving our schools; it is also about creating jobs. At Parkhurst State School there is $5.7 million going towards six general learning spaces and two specialist learning spaces. I note that all of the member for Stretton's brothers went to Parkhurst State School. I am sorry that he was not fortunate enough to enjoy the experience of being a student at Parkhurst State School. I know that Principal Lyle Walker is over the moon about this funding. There is $250,000 to refurbish the tuckshop at Yeppoon State High School. I recently met with the P&C from Yeppoon State High School. They told me about the need to refurbish the tuckshop. This is something about which I went in to bat for them. I spoke with the minister and I lobbied really hard for this funding. On Monday I called the tuckshop to tell them that I understood there would be some money in the budget for the Yeppoon State High School tuckshop. They were just so over the moon about this funding that will go towards improving the tuckshop at Yeppoon State High School. The Yeppoon State School P&C, parents and the school principal wanted to meet with me about the need for a new playground and shade covering, since the cyclone a couple of years ago knocked down most of the shade trees. I went in to bat for them, too. I am pleased that in the budget there is $150,000 to go towards a new permanent shade structure and playground at Yeppoon State School. There is close to $870,000 allocated across the 15 state schools in Keppel for maintenance and minor works over the next financial year. I think that is great. A lot of the schools get maintenance and upgrade work done over school breaks. When the students, parents and staff come back, they are really pleased to see the work that has been done. Even a lick of paint on some of the buildings can make a big difference in terms of pride in the schools. Also in the budget is $5.1 million for Yeppoon State High School's new administration building. Construction is underway, so the funding in the next financial year is for the next stage of those works. I know that the P&C, the parents, the staff and the principal at Yeppoon State High School are very much looking forward to that building being completed. There is also $861,000 to provide mental health program services. The member for Rockhampton and I recently met with the CEO of Anglicare, which has been contracted to deliver part of this mental health program. She is just over the moon. I know that it will go a long way to helping people in the community who are struggling with their mental health. There is also half a million dollars to construct change rooms and amenities to support female participation in multisport at the Barmaryee Multisport Precinct. That multisport precinct is a precinct that Labor has been investing in for years in partnership with the Livingstone Shire Council. That precinct now is huge. There are Rugby League and netball carnivals on there regularly. It is a hive of activity. It is amazing to see that, in partnership with the Livingstone Shire Council, the Palaszczuk Labor government is delivering on sporting infrastructure in Keppel. I thank the Minister for Sport for his support and for allocating this funding towards the multisport precinct at Barmaryee. The other day I spoke with the president the netball association, Tanya Burnett. She is just so excited. The girls need more change rooms, and this funding will go towards expanding the amenities there. http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx -001 PAGE: 2 There is also the continuation of funding, delivered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, for the Rockhampton Northern Access Upgrade in the Parkhurst part of my electorate. This project is shared with the member for Rockhampton and it is going gangbusters. There are workers and machinery everywhere. It is a $120 million project that is creating jobs, giving local people the opportunity to work on a very big project and really improving the entire northern entrance to Rockhampton. It will make the entrance to Rockhampton much more spectacular and it is growing jobs at the same time. The businesses around the Parkhurst Town Centre are absolutely loving the fact that this project is ongoing around their shopping centre. 043 The budget also includes funding to deliver on our commitment for the Rockhampton alcohol, ice and other drugs detox and rehab centre, a $14.3 million commitment that we made for a new 42-bed residential alcohol and other drug rehab and detox facility. There will be 32 beds in that facility for residential rehabilitation where people can stay and be treated, eight beds for withdrawal stage or detox treatment and two family units so that people can get the treatment that they need with their families supporting them on their journey. I understand that a preferred site has been identified for the facility and the schematic level design and the detailed business case are expected to be completed by the end of this year, with construction planned for 2020. Service delivery will commence as soon as practicable after the completion of construction. The services to be provided include residential treatment for adults aged 18 years and over and flexible non-residential treatment provided for young people aged under 18 years and other groups in the community indicated for this type of treatment to address their substance abuse issues, and that is fantastic. There is so much more that I could talk about with respect to budget commitments in Keppel. This is a great budget for Central Queensland and it is a great budget for Keppel. This budget will create jobs and it will improve our health services, our hospitals and our schools. We made the commitment in 2015 to restore the front-line services that the Newman government cut in Queensland and I am really pleased that since March 2015 when we came to government there have been 168 extra nurses employed in Central Queensland and 95 extra doctors. That is an outstanding number of front-line workers who have been employed in our hospitals and who are delivering services to Central Queensland local people in order to keep them healthy. There have also been 185 extra teachers and 71 extra teacher aides, and that is just fantastic. It goes a long way to helping improve our schools and help deliver a quality education for people in Central Queensland. As a teacher my mum would be very pleased to know that there are 185 extra teachers in our region now. She is always talking to me about the importance of education and how hard teachers work. I know how hard they work because I have seen it. She has been working hard every day for the last 30 years as a teacher and she is passionate about it. She loves her job, but we need more teachers and the Palaszczuk government is delivering. This budget includes $1.1 billion for infrastructure in Central Queensland—a record budget for infrastructure. I understand that 60 per cent of the infrastructure spend in this Palaszczuk government budget is being allocated across regional Queensland, and that is great news for regional Queensland because the $1.1 billion that is being spent in this budget will support around 3,600 jobs in this coming financial year in Central Queensland alone. That is outstanding news for people in Central Queensland. I also think that the payroll tax package is a great way to incentivise business to grow, to hire more staff and to diversify their business. It is an awesome package and I am so pleased that the Treasurer has listened to the calls from the chambers of commerce and other business associations across the state, because people in Central Queensland have been saying for a long time that they want payroll tax relief, and this government is delivering. In closing, I highlight the need for the seven-day manning of the Yeppoon Fire Station. There is no budget line item for any additional firefighters at Yeppoon station, but I want to see that station manned seven days. Currently those officers are on a five-day roster—and the auxiliaries and the officers do a fantastic job manning that station—but I want to see that upgraded to a category B station with seven-day manning. I will be calling on the government and the minister to allocate some of the remaining full-time equivalent positions that are still owing to regional fire stations across the state to Yeppoon and I will be asking for the Yeppoon Fire Station to be considered for that upgrade, an upgrade which is desperately needed to help improve response times in Central Queensland. Mr Millar: You have my support. Mrs LAUGA: The member for Gregory is also supporting that call. I congratulate the Treasurer on this fantastic budget that is delivering jobs for regional Queensland. http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx

GST distribution -001 PAGE: 1 Queensland Parliament Hansard Green DATE: 12/06/2019 FILE: 12062019_000762_LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY_GREEN CHAMBER.DOCX SUBJECT: Distribution of GST MEMBER: Mrs LAUGA 017 Distribution of GST Mrs LAUGA (Keppel—ALP) (2.09 pm): It was interesting to hear the member for Burdekin talking about royalties in the House today, considering that the federal government is changing the integrity of the arrangements of GST distribution and that they have interfered with the independence of the Commonwealth Grants Commission by instructing the Commonwealth Grants Commission to cease reviewing its mining revenue assessment as part of its 2020 methodology review. Without the commission's proposed changes, Queensland will continue to unfairly lose royalties to Canberra. It is absolutely outrageous that hundreds of millions of dollars of Queensland royalties, which are produced from mining the resources of our state, are now going to Canberra to be spent elsewhere in the country. Those resources are owned by Queenslanders and Queensland royalties should be invested in Queensland. For years now the Queensland government has been doing all of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating jobs, restoring front-line services, building schools and delivering health services to the people of Queensland. Under Tony Abbott, then Malcolm Turnbull and now Scott Morrison, the LNP have cut billions to our hospitals, our schools, remote Indigenous housing, pensioner concessions, natural disaster assistance and main roads. Queensland Labor has had to fill the gaps. We have had to find money out of Queensland coffers to pay for basic services that the LNP cut and slashed. Queensland taxpayers should be outraged at the fact that Queensland has had to fill the gaps and cover the shortfall. Queensland Labor has always said that we will not leave Queenslanders hanging, but the LNP razor gang are at it again. This time the federal LNP are taking our fair share of GST and spending it in other parts of the country. I for one will not stand for it and members on this side of the chamber will not stand for it. Queensland is the only state to receive less GST revenue from the Commonwealth government in 2019-20, despite the GST pool growing. Our GST revenue from the federal government has fallen off a cliff. In 2019-20 alone they are cutting $360 million from Queensland. In fact Queensland's share of the GST has been slashed by $866 million as a direct result of interference by the federal government. Queensland is the most disaster affected state in Australia. Over the past decade natural disasters have cost us $15 billion. In March this year, the federal LNP also decided to adopt changes to the GST distribution that will rip money out of Queensland just when we need it most. In 2019-20 Queensland is set to lose out on $268 million in GST, because the federal government has excluded natural disaster payments from GST calculations. I suggest that the member for Burdekin talks to his community about that. The flooding in Townsville and North Queensland caused $1.3 billion worth of damage to public assets. The federal LNP no longer thinks the recovery funding we provide to local councils and communities should be classed as necessary. Not only is Queensland the only state to receive less GST revenue— (Time expired) http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx

General Speech -001 PAGE: 1 Queensland Parliament Hansard Green DATE: 12/06/2019 FILE: 12062019_000762_LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY_GREEN CHAMBER.DOCX SUBJECT: (no subject found) MEMBER: Mrs LAUGA Mrs LAUGA (Keppel—ALP) (5.16 pm): I rise to oppose the motion. The federal election results were disappointing. As Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese said, we must respect the results. In respecting the results, it is important for our party to reflect. Taking a good, hard look in the mirror is the duty of a political party of progress, not protest. The people of Queensland expect us to respect the results of the federal election, and taking a good, hard look in the mirror, as I said, is part of paying respect to the people of Queensland. Federal Labor must take stock, recalibrate our federal policies and tune our message. This government must continue with our steadfast resolve to always put Queenslanders first. New leader Anthony Albanese, 'Albo', has said as much. Yes, we must take a good, hard look in the mirror. As a result, Labor must rise with courage, imagination and new ideas. We must seek change through the power of parliamentary democracy and the timeless truth of solidarity. We must keep unashamedly investing in all of Queensland's potential, to reverse disadvantage and to care for the most vulnerable in our state. We must continue to drive growth in our regional cities and towns, because our state, more than any other, relies on the prosperity of our regional economies. When our regions do well, all of Queensland does well. Our party was founded on the important principle that everyone deserves a fair go in life. Our greatest achievements have always come from broadening the meaning of the fair go to include more people in its benefits. A strong minimum wage, a fair day's work and a decent pension were once radical notions, but it was Labor that made them universal rights. Labor believes in the dignity of work. We know how important a good job is to an individual's sense of self and to the stability and health of their family. For Labor, the choice between prosperity and fairness will always be a false one. We know that economic growth comes from extending opportunity and reducing inequality. We know that building a more prosperous Queensland and nation means making sure no-one is left behind. This is the mission that defines our party and that defines the Palaszczuk Labor government. Labor's new challenge is to honour those achievements by building on them—to bring new meaning to our oldest ideal, to revere it and revitalise it. This election result will not break Labor. We have 125 years of history which built our party, and over that time we have seen great election victories. Of course, we have also endured devastating defeats, but we are tough. Because our party was built on the principles of equality, fairness and opportunity for all, we will continue to invest in jobs and front-line services to meet the needs of a growing state. 036 We must continue to support business, particularly small and medium sized businesses, to create jobs. We have chosen to stay the course and not cut, sack and sell. Our vision for Queensland, together with the policies that shape our government with our tireless Premier at the helm, is working. The proof is in the numbers, because since 2015 199,000 jobs have been created. While the fundamental principles which define our party do not change, we are a party that is good at reflecting on our direction and we thrive on governing with tact, insight and consideration. This is in stark contrast to those opposite, who have never truly learnt from the lessons after their disastrous result at the 2015 Queensland election. In 2012 the then member for Callide came into this place when he was the deputy premier of this state and told the now Deputy Premier, the member for South Brisbane, that she ought to get comfortable sitting on the opposition benches because Labor would be there for years. It demonstrated just how arrogant and truly lost the LNP had become. It did not learn its lesson. When those opposite spent more than $70 million of taxpayers' money to try and sell their asset sales plan to the community at a time when the community was not buying it, it demonstrated just how arrogant and truly lost the LNP had become. The motion moved today by those opposite demonstrates just how arrogant the LNP still is. The principles that underpin the Liberal National Party do not support a fair go at all. The LNP's platform is to encourage and facilitate wealth—in other words, less or no regulation which protects the public from http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx -001 PAGE: 2 exploitation, anti worker, pro-privatisation and open slather for those who seek to maximise profits at the expense of everyday working Queenslanders. I am proud that our party is constantly looking at better ways of running this state and ways to make the lives of all Queenslanders and Australians better. http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx

Taxi subsidies for disabled passengers -001 PAGE: 1 Queensland Parliament Hansard Green DATE: 11/06/2019 FILE: 11062019_000757_LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY_GREEN CHAMBER.DOCX SUBJECT: (no subject found) MEMBER: Mrs LAUGA 018 Mrs LAUGA (Keppel—ALP) (12.18 pm): The Palaszczuk government wants to ensure that Queensland is a place where people with disability have equal access to opportunities and can contribute to and participate in all that our beautiful state has to offer. This bill will support Queensland's next step in transitioning to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Since 2016 Queensland has been a host jurisdiction under the NDIS Act 2013, which supports the gradual transition of Queenslanders into the NDIS. The Queensland government is committed to ensuring a smooth transition to full scheme operation of the NDIS. We are also committed to ensuring that Queenslanders with disability continue to receive disability services that are subject to a robust quality and safeguards framework. This bill is the next stage of reform to support Queensland's full scheme implementation of the NDIS in Queensland. In rising today to speak on this bill I want to highlight the underspends, staffing caps, excessive paperwork and a `plague of contractors' which have undermined the effectiveness and original design of the NDIS. This great national enterprise cannot be capped, cut or delayed or put at the mercy of consultants who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. It is a great relief to me, to members of the community with a disability and to their carers that the Palaszczuk government stepped in to ensure that the Taxi Subsidy Scheme for NDIS participants continues over the coming year. A further $6 million has been committed in 2019-20 to continue the subsidy payment. Taxi subsidies were expected to transition to the NDIS funding arrangement by now, but under the Morrison government this has not happened. We will not allow thousands of Queenslanders to be left stranded, so we have stepped in to ensure this does not happen. We want to ensure that people with special needs continue to receive this support so they can undertake everyday activities and stay connected with family and friends. The Palaszczuk government understands how important it is for all Queenslanders to have access to transport. Queensland has already invested significant amounts under the NDIS funding arrangement, and Canberra must fix the gaps. We will continue to work over the coming year to ensure the NDIS agreement delivers proper affordable transport options for Queenslanders in the longer term. The Taxi Subsidy Scheme provides a co-contribution of up to $25 per trip for people with severe disabilities who are unable to use other forms of subsidised passenger transport. The budget commitment continues the same level of investment in the TSS as in 2018-19. This is in addition to $15.7 million to continue the TSS for non-NDIS eligible members. Scott Morrison and the LNP need to meet their responsibilities under the NDIS, including providing proper support for participants. The Palaszczuk government will also allocate $6.8 million in 2019-20 to continue incentive payments for drivers of wheelchair accessible taxis to give priority to TSS members. A lift payment of $20 is provided to taxidrivers for each eligible wheelchair accessible taxi trip involving transportation of a TSS member who is required to travel in a wheelchair. The Palaszczuk government has been working closely with people with a disability and their representatives as well as the taxi industry and transport stakeholders. We have listened to the concerns of Queensland NDIS participants, their families and carers, disability advocacy organisations and transport providers. We have also strongly advocated on behalf of Queensland participants to resolve these issues with the NDIA and the federal government. However, disappointingly, these issues have not yet been resolved by the Morrison government. I call on the member for Capricornia and Minister Matthew Canavan to fund plans fairly for Central Queenslanders by providing adequate transport. Following this bill, a second stage of legislative changes will progress further amendments to support the full scheme operation of the NDIS in Queensland, including legislative changes to ensure the Queensland government continues to champion access and inclusion for people with disability and support the implementation of nationally consistent NDIS worker screening in Queensland. I commend the bill to the House. http://ropes/sites/ropes2013/Document Templates/ropes.docx

Maiden Speech Speech By Brittany Lauga MEMBER FOR KEPPEL Record of Proceedings, 5 May 2015 MAIDEN SPEECH Mrs LAUGA (Keppel—ALP) (3.16 pm): I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Turrbal people, and pay respects to their elders both past and present and to the future elders—a group we do not often mention but one of great importance. Of course, I would like to extend that respect to the Aboriginal people present today. I would also like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land which I represent here in this place, the Darumbal and Woppaburra people, and extend that respect to their elders past, present and future. Firstly, it is a great honour and a privilege to stand here in this place representing the people of Keppel. Let me place on record my deep gratitude and thanks to the people of Keppel for giving me the opportunity to represent our community. The Keppel electorate, in my opinion, is the most beautiful and diverse part of our world, though perhaps I am somewhat biased. Just five days after the Queensland Electoral Commission declared the winner of the election in Keppel, Tropical Cyclone Marcia formed. On Friday, 20 February 2015 category 5 Tropical Cyclone Marcia crossed the Central Queensland coast near Shoalwater Bay. The cyclone intensified rapidly into a category 5 cyclone within 48 hours of its formation. After landfall the cyclone went on to affect many communities in the Keppel electorate including Byfield, Yeppoon, Emu Park, Keppel Sands, Cawarral, Woodbury, Mount Chalmers, Stockyard Point, Koongal, Nerimbera, Frenchville, Norman Gardens, Coowonga, Parkhurst, Rockyview, The Caves and Etna Creek. Over 60,000 homes were left without power in Central Queensland and almost 3,000 people requested assistance from the SES. Significant structural damage occurred, with a number of houses having roofs blown off. I was in constant liaison with the mayor of Livingstone shire, Bill Ludwig, and the deputy mayor, Graham Scott, and Rockhampton Regional Council's mayor, Margaret Strelow, and the deputy mayor, Tony Williams, about how I could help, acting as a conduit between local and state government where they needed me. It has been over two months now since Marcia hit. I have travelled across the electorate visiting and listening to the people of Keppel. The cyclone blew off roofs and destroyed houses and businesses, but I know from talking to people across the region that one thing is for certain—Marcia did not destroy our fighting Central Queensland spirit. I have listened to some heartbreaking stories and also lots of heartwarming stories of neighbours meeting for the first time, of strangers sharing supplies and leads for generators being thrown over fences so that neighbours could share electricity supply. I reminisce about Cindel, an SES volunteer whom I met one afternoon in the days after the cyclone at the SES headquarters in Yeppoon. Both Cindel and her husband had been working hard volunteering in the recovery and had not seen their young daughter for many days. Cindel's mum was in fact looking after her. Cindel's uniform was dirty and she had not slept properly for days, and when she did it was on the floor of the SES headquarters. She had been doing some really hard yakka helping our community. The next time I saw Cindel was a few days later, but this time she was actually wearing a Queensland police uniform. Cindel explained that she also works as a police officer Brittany_Lauga-Keppel-20150505-634243733670.docx Page 1 of 4 and in her time off she volunteers with the local SES. I think it is just amazing that this young woman was working so incredibly hard in the recovery as a police officer away from her young family but in her spare time she was also working tirelessly as a volunteer for the SES. I want to say thank you to everyone who played a role in the recovery after Marcia. In particular I want to thank the Ergon and Energex workers from around the state who worked tirelessly to restore power to our region in record time, and there were over 900 of them who came to our rescue; the doctors, nurses and allied health professionals who worked around the clock in our hospitals and local practices; and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, emergency services workers and the volunteers such as the SES, BlazeAid and the rural fire brigades around the region, many of whom also came from around the state to help. They volunteered to help and also gave up their time away from cleaning up their own homes and helping their own families to assist our community. Thanks also to the mayors and deputy mayors of Rockhampton Regional Council and Livingstone Shire Council and their respective councillors and staff. Thank you also to all of the local people who went out and helped their neighbours, the elderly and the disabled. I have heard stories from right across the region of generosity, caring for each other and lending a hand. Your efforts have been absolutely brilliant. Finally, I want to say thank you to the Palaszczuk government. Premier Palaszczuk, Deputy Premier Trad and many state government ministers visited the region multiple times during the recovery. I thank you and your staff for your assistance and the urgent attention given to matters when I raised them with you. The Keppel electorate has some of the most amazing natural beauty and it is an honour and a privilege to be here, the youngest member of this Queensland parliament, representing our community. A prime example of its natural beauty is Mount Archer National Park. I love standing on top of Mount Archer and looking out to the picturesque Capricorn Coast on one side and bustling Rockhampton on the other. The amazing Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area and Keppel Bay islands are within the electorate right on our doorstep. We have a spectacular diversity in corals, fish and marine fauna. The snubfin dolphin, for example, which inhabits Keppel Bay, is Australia's only native dolphin and is genetically unique to Central Queensland. Peak Island, just off the coast from Keppel Sands, is the second largest and most important breeding rookery for flatback turtles which migrate from as far as the Torres Strait. Picture the bluest of blue water you have ever seen and the whitest sandy beaches. Dolphins frolic with their calves in the bay. I have even seen whales. Some of the most resilient coral lives in the bay, and it has to be resilient because it is regularly flushed with fresh water from the mouth of the Fitzroy Delta. Throw in a line just off the coast and experience the pure exhilaration of having a giant Spanish mackerel on the end of your line. The drag on the line goes 'whiz!' and everyone is running mad around the boat in a group effort to help you land that big fish and then there are smiles and high fives all around when you finally get it in the boat. I love zipping up Coorooman Creek, ducking and weaving through its tributaries to plant a few crab pots on high tide. When you go back out at the next high tide the pots are full to the brim with big dark green muddies, ready to share around the family after being whipped into a tasty chilli crab. You should all be very jealous. You are all of course more than welcome to come for a visit. I am lucky because I do not need to go anywhere for a holiday. Just being home in Keppel with our beaches, great beef, delicious food and produce, amazing weather and cruisy lifestyle makes being at home feel like a holiday all of the time. Great Keppel Island is one of the jewels in the crown of our region and the Southern Great Barrier Reef. We need to be taking action to protect it for the future, for both its natural wonder and its tourism potential. I would like to see tourism development occur on Great Keppel Island but always ensuring that it is undertaken in a way that will be sustainable for future generations. I want to see tourism grow on the island, encouraging more visitors to the Capricorn Coast and Rockhampton to support jobs for locals. I know from talking to locals that they want the development to proceed, but they also want it to be managed properly. I promised I would be a strong voice for our region's future, and that is what I have done. I have been working extremely hard every day since I was elected and I am proud of that. Standing up for our community is what I promised, and I have done that day in and day out. We do not always get our way, but the people of Keppel can rest assured that I will continue to stand up for them and fight for our fair share every day. It is what I was elected to do and it is what I am passionate about doing. We are also lucky to have CQ University's North Rockhampton campus in the electorate of Keppel—a world-class dual sector university which is also Australia's largest regional university. It has 30,000 students studying qualifications from certificate to post doctorate level from over 100 different countries. We have some of the best schools too. I am constantly amazed by the sporting and academic achievements of students in Central Queensland. We have a river that provides us with so much more than just a reliable water supply. At 142,600 square kilometres, the Fitzroy Basin is the Brittany_Lauga-Keppel-20150505-634243733670.docx Page 2 of 4 largest catchment on the eastern seaboard. The most diverse range of freshwater fish in the country is found within the Fitzroy Basin. We love our Keppel Bay, our river and our climate, so it is no surprise that we have more boat registrations per capita than anywhere else in the state. We have an airport with international capabilities, the third longest runway in Queensland and the ninth largest in Australia. More than 750,000 passengers travel through our airport every year, which equates to about 2,000 per day. Our tourism industry employs over 4,000 people and injects hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy each year. We have over 1.2 million overnight visitors to the Capricornia region annually. Tourism is important, so I am working on making that number of overnight visitors grow. Local primary producers are busy putting fruit on the plates of our nation. To give members an example, the region actually supplies 45 per cent of Australia's pineapples. We know that we have even more opportunities in agriculture and I am working on exploring and taking advantage of those right now. In fact, this week in the electorate adjacent to Keppel, Beef Australia 2015 is being held. Australia's national beef exposition is one of the world's great beef cattle events and is held just once every three years in Rockhampton. Beef Australia is a celebration of all facets of the Australian beef industry and in particular it celebrates the beef industry in Central Queensland's backyard. Congratulations to Denis Cox and his team at Beef Australia and I look forward to joining the Beef Australia 2015 celebrations at the cessation of parliament this week. Did I mention that we have excellent weather? We have so many more opportunities and assets that I have not even mentioned. Regional planning to take advantage of these opportunities and assets whilst ensuring that we protect and treasure them for future generations is my passion. My childhood growing up in Rocky and the Capricorn Coast was special. My family moved there when I was a little girl because dad, Peter, took a job working at Stanwell. My mum, Sharon, whom I thank for being here today, is a primary schoolteacher and she has worked now for almost 25 years at Mount Archer State School, which is where my brother, Lewis, and I went to primary school. Lewis and I had a very busy upbringing. We were always encouraged to get involved in everything. My dad would often have to work away on shutdowns at power stations around the state, so mum was often the one who would run us around to netball training, soccer, footy, ballet, T-ball and anything else that we had on in the afternoons and on weekends. She would drop one of us off and then the other, race home for forgotten soccer boots or something, hang around to watch practice, pick us both up and miraculously still have a hot nutritious home cooked meal on the table for when we got home. She was and still is in my eyes a superwoman. Both of our parents worked hard to give my brother and I a great start to life. My mum instilled in me the belief that all children should have access to a first-class education. My dad taught me the value of hard work and fairness. Other women in my life have also played an important role in shaping the person I am today. My late grandmother, Mary Ayscough, was a happy and friendly yet fiercely determined businesswoman. She taught me that everything must be done with a smile and to respect everyone, no matter their background. The Minister for Communities, Women and Youth, Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Shannon Fentiman, is a university friend turned parliamentary colleague and is someone whom I look up to very much. After I finished school I moved to Brisbane to study law at the Queensland University of Technology. I studied two years of law and decided that I just was not passionate about it, so I changed to a degree in urban and regional planning, which I absolutely loved. I reflect on the passion and grace of my lecturer, Associate Professor Phil Heywood, who also is here with us today, who inspires me with his creativity and who has a real passion for life, enthusiasm and a fervent desire to work for good community outcomes. Planning has been a wonderful career and a great profession to be involved in. Planning matters in Keppel and it matters to our state. Good planning is the best way to manage urban growth, to secure necessary infrastructure investment, to determine appropriate settlement patterns for our cities and towns, and to generate economic development that contributes positively to the wellbeing of individuals and communities and the natural and built environments on which we rely. I thank members and life members of the Planning Institute of Australia who have been wonderful mentors and colleagues over the years, including PIA president Kate Isles, state manager Dan Molloy, immediate former national president Dy Curry, Gary White, Greg Vann, Greg Ovenden, Steve Craven, Laura Gannon and Planning Institute of Australia CEO Kirsty Kelly. They have all taught me so much about good planning. They can rest assured that I am putting those lessons to good use every day in this new role. I must also say thank you to my husband, Wayne, and I am also grateful to have him here today. Shortly after I moved back from Brisbane I met and fell in love with my husband, Wayne—a Brittany_Lauga-Keppel-20150505-634243733670.docx Page 3 of 4 born and bred Rocky boy, quantity surveyor and manager of a building firm. Wayne and I have been happily married now for almost four years. We live in the electorate at Rockyview with our gorgeous chocolate Labrador, Apollo. Wayne has been a great supporter for me in both an emotional and practical sense. Being a hardworking local member involves many late nights and early mornings, often seven days a week. But I come home and my ironing is done, dinner is on the table and the lawn is mowed even though Wayne is extremely busy in his own professional life. I was endorsed as the Labor candidate for Keppel for 14 months prior to the state election. In that time I spoke to thousands of constituents in the electorate—at market stalls, school P&C meetings, retirement villages and through phone calls and doorknocking. I would like to thank so many people who helped in the campaign. Hundreds of people helped me pound the pavement and to get our message out. I thank my husband, Wayne; my parents, Peter and Sharon McKee; and my brother and his wife, Lewis and Pia McKee. I also thank Rohan Webb, Ann-Marie Allan, Jules Campbell—who is also here today—Peter Lyon, John Hempseed, Sonia Steffen and Luke Moore from the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union. I also thank my good friend Sara Barnbaum; Lloyd Beatson; Neville Beattie; Ken Berry; Margaret, Katelyn and Megan Clements; Jason Sladden; Jason Conway; Barry Thomson; former member for Keppel Paul Hoolihan, who was here earlier, and his wife, Elizabeth; Jarred Kennedy; Bary Large; Angie and Bill Luck; Bernie Misztal; Leisa Neaton; John Olsen; Cam Schroder; Leonie Short; Wal Taylor; John Homan; Brett Svendsen; Anthony White; Tony Williams; Craig Allen; Craig Sell; Billy Bijoux; Ashleigh Saunders; Barry Thompson; Trish Bovingdon; Darren Blackwood; Chris McJannett; Paul Jensen and the meatworkers; my parliamentary colleague Bill Byrne; Tom Dixon; Rachel Dixon; Vicki Chopping; Denise and John Christensen; Luke Christensen; Clyde and Diana Wode; Les and Mavis Wust; Mary Hempseed; Bruce Craig; Peter Lyon; Tom and Carmel Hall; Hugh and Yvonne Chardon; Ernie O'Sullivan; Janice and Ray Murphy; Ingrid Murphy and her darling children Mitchell and Baily. I know that for Keppel to grow and develop as a community and to foster prosperity we have to be forward thinking, hungry and ambitious for change. But a region that does not know its destination will never know its journey. I will work with the people of Keppel to realise that destination, plan the journey and bring everyone along for the ride. I will be that loud voice representing them in Brisbane. I am passionate, tenacious and hungry to make a difference. I will be a strong voice for our future. I am young, energetic, passionate and I have a big vision for Keppel. I want to work towards a prosperous and healthy community—one with jobs, opportunity, growth, tourism and a place that we can all be proud of. I will be working as hard as I can for my electorate, because I am here to put Keppel and Central Queensland on the map. Brittany_Lauga-Keppel-20150505-634243733670.docx Page 4 of 4