Terry Young
Longman · Liberal National Party · Australia
“This weekend is Easter. Of course, way too much chocolate will be consumed, camping trips will probably be rained out in Queensland and the kids will be excited about the Easter bunny, which is all a bit of fun. However, for those of the Christian faith, I would say that this is the most important event on the calendar.”
“It's a message of hope, not fear. In these tumultuous times, hope is definitely what people need. If you don't go along to a church regularly or at all or if you are feeling despondent, anxious or run out of hope with what we are currently experiencing globally, locally and as a nation, I encourage you to visit a church this Easter and he…”
“Freight costs are rising, and that is hitting families at the checkout. Everyone pays. When businesses face these pressures they have two choices; they either raise prices or cut jobs. There is no good outcome in either of those scenarios. But what is particularly concerning right now is not just the cost; it's the uncertainty.”
“We have been told that there is no supply issue, that only six tankers have been cancelled, when Australia normally receives around 80 a month. That's less than 10 per cent. We've been told that there are still 28 days of fuel in reserve, when we normally have 30. That's a difference of just two days.”
“No transport, no Australia—it's really that simple. Everything in this country has a transport component. Every product we rely on, from fresh food to construction materials, depends on fuel to get there.”
“They are living it every day. What they need is relief. That is why I'm calling on the government to urgently remove—temporarily—the fuel excise, as an emergency measure, with a clear review period. It's a practical step that would provide immediate relief to families, businesses and the entire supply chain.”
The complete record
Every one of 149 lines we hold for Terry Young, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 3.
“I know that our hardworking program manager, Sergeant Mark Haestier, is super excited, and I know he will achieve even greater outcomes for our community than he does already now he has this wonderful new, modern facility. As a bonus, the old facility is being refurbed by the council, which will benefit local organisations such as Spiders Boxing Club, the U3A and the local men's shed. I'm glad that the federal and state governments and the local council were all able to work together on this project. It would not have been possible without their cooperation. This facility is a testament to what can be achieved when we put people before politics.”
“More than 1,000 local families were already members at the old building, and this is expected to double over the next few years in one of Australia's fastest-growing communities. In fact, with the early opening of the 24/7 gym just days ago, we're already seeing new faces. The gym members have already expressed positive reviews, and many of them have had an early glimpse at the rest of the building, which officially opens on Thursday 26 February this year. The Caboolture PCYC team has changed lives for more than 40 years, and I know they will continue to do so for many more. In the words of the PCYC, 'When our young people thrive, so do our communities.' I very much look forward to seeing the impact this new facility will have on our region going forward, particularly as we edge closer to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.”
“We reached our target of $5 million through the then coalition government's Community Development Grants Program. This, combined with state government and council funding, with moneys from the PCYC themselves, meant that after years of dreaming this dream was about to become reality. This new building, which is conveniently placed next to the Caboolture police station and directly behind a serviced bus stop, features a 24/7 gym, a purpose-built gymnastics facility, a dedicated youth hub, multipurpose recreational areas, an outdoor basketball court and, as I'm sure anyone who has ever visited the old facility can appreciate, dedicated parking. No more parking in the mud and dust!”
“In 2019, when I was first elected, the officer in charge of the Caboolture police station , the legendary Mick Brady, was my first appointment. Mick, in no uncertain terms, made me aware of the PCYC's ambitious plan to build a new state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Caboolture on King Street. The initial bill cost was set at $11½ million, and it soon became clear that this would need to be a joint project between all three levels of government if we were ever going to get it across the line. Mick was never going to leave me alone until there was federal funding forthcoming, so the journey of advocating for this facility began. Over the years, due to circumstances like COVID, the initial figure would change—and not downwards. With the support of the community, I was able to push for funding.”
“I still have the sounds of 'MMMBop' by Hanson and 'Nutbush' ringing in my ears nearly 30 years later! The support provided by the PCYC was a staple in the lives of many locals, and I have personally seen the positive impact that it has had on my own kids. Yet, as the years passed, it became increasingly obvious that this facility was no longer suitable for our growing region. As many locals will know, the building suffers from flooding issues, which sometimes disrupts services. Furthermore, its location on the outskirts of Caboolture, in an area with limited transport options and proximity to extensive bushland, was a deterrent for many would-be members. So, after 40 years, the time came to say goodbye to the Toovey Street facility.”
“In 1982, the Caboolture PCYC that we've all come to know and love was opened on Toovey Street. For more than 40 years this building has been home to programs and activities like youth development, crime prevention and community engagement through low-cost gymnastics, boxing, volleyball, trampolining and the opportunity for our youth to engage with the Queensland Police Service in a low-stake environment. More recently, services extended to include after-school care, free driving lessons for disadvantaged young people and group fitness classes for over 50s. Because of these programs, the PCYC has played a role in shaping the lives of our local youth. In fact, I can recall taking my own kids there during the 1990s and early 2000s, particularly to blue light discos, when Sergeant Dale Hennessey was in charge.”
“Good leadership resists the urge to simply appease a public rightfully crying out for justice by acting hastily, in favour of well-thought-out and effective legislation that actually works. We need to get this right and we need to make sure that the lives lost and impacted by the events of 14 December 2025 are not in vain.”
“Could this have been avoided?' There will also be those who had the power to act, either through not ignoring warning signs, not creating laws and legislation, or ignoring words that were spoken that were hateful and un-Australian. It will be up to each individual to judge what part they could have played, if any, in possibly preventing this tragedy. That is not for me or anyone else to do; let every man and woman be a judge of their own conscience. We now owe it to the families of all the victims to ensure this type of attack never happens again on Australian shores. But I implore this parliament to take its time to get this right. Decisions made when emotions are raw are well-meaning but rarely good decisions.”
“Like we are with cancer, we must be ruthless in the way we deal with extreme, radical, violent Islam and all forms of antisemitism, cutting it out before it can take hold. The warnings of those who know best must be heard and acted upon. There is no place for apathy with regard to serious matters like these. Our very presence here today shows the price we pay when we ignore the warnings. To the families of the victims, the entire Jewish community and everyone else who has been affected by this horrific terror attack, I want to apologise to you for letting you down and for my own apathy. I'm one of the many who will have to live with questions like: 'What if I had spoken out more?”
“This is despite the warnings of so many, including family members and members of medical community imploring us to catch these conditions early, as the survival rate of those who have early intervention is greatly increased. So it is with this recent tragedy. As with cancer, I believe this could have been avoided with early intervention. This horrific event was the culmination of over two years of ignoring the pleas of so many in the Jewish community and the security experts who warned that this cancer of antisemitism was growing and spreading across our nation. Tragically, these warnings were largely ignored. Just as when warnings are ignored with health conditions like cancer, deaths often result.”
“One of the beauties and most celebrated attributes of Australian culture has always been our 'she'll be right' attitude. This is a quintessential Australian way. I have no doubt it has contributed to our largely peaceful history compared to many nations. I'm also sure it has contributed to our No. 5 ranking in the longest life expectancy, as we know stress is a killer. But the detriment of this attitude, apathy, can also come with a price. We've seen it for years in health. Australians, particularly men, are too slow to see a doctor about a suspicious lump, skin blemish or pain in their body that ends up being a tumour that has metastasised, or a melanoma caught too late.”
“We reflected that, unlike our daughter, Matilda would not get to celebrate her 18th birthday. Her parents, Michael and Valentyna, will not have the joy of seeing her graduate, get married, have children and achieve whatever career path Matilda would have chosen. They have been deprived of so much. As a dad, my heart goes out to you. I can't imagine how you are feeling right now and the pain that you're in. This senseless attack was driven by Islamic extremism and was one of the darkest days in the history of a country that has prided itself on its multicultural diversity and its historical culture of accepting people from all nations and from different cultures and faiths. As is the case with many things in life, the greatest strengths of an individual community or country can also be their greatest weaknesses.”
“I rise to speak on the condolence motion for the victims of the Bondi antisemitic terrorist attack on 14 December last year. Most of us are going to remember where we were when the news reports of this horrific attack began to filter through our televisions and our devices. My wife, Alex, and I were spending the evening with our daughter, Jessica, who had turned 18 the day before. I can remember Alex's comment, in disbelief, as we saw the disturbing images: 'Is this really happening in Australia?' She asked this as, in this country that we both grew up in, these were images we associated with other countries far away, not our country. This simply doesn't happen in Australia. Then we heard that a 10-year-old girl, Matilda, was one of the 15 victims.”
“I for one am grateful that Jesus showed us how people should treat one another, and I know that many people in Longman and around this great country will honour his sacrifice by attending church services this Christmas, and rightly so. Merry Christmas, everyone.”
“This, of course, is a great reflection on the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, and one of his promises, of course, is that he will help alleviate the burdens of those who follow him. It's also the time of year when I often see the best in people in the Longman community—people putting the needs of others before their own and helping others less fortunate than themselves. The toy drive that grows every year, despite the difficult economic climate that many people face right now, makes me incredibly proud to represent this community. Our church community continues to flourish as they go about doing good, helping the homeless with meals and shelter, as well as victims of domestic violence and others doing it tough not just at Christmas time but all year round.”
“This temporary solution to the lack of adequate aged-care facilities, in conjunction with the government's decision to walk back their 2023 promise to provide better funding to hospitals, is only exacerbating the issues surrounding health and aged care. It's clear to me that something needs to be done to improve the aged-care system that will remove some of the strain from our hospitals. It's my hope that common sense will prevail and that these issues will be addressed as a matter of urgency for the sake of our senior citizens. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas and, hopefully, a more prosperous 2026. Christmas is a wonderful time, when people tend to forget about the challenges in life as they relax over the festive season and the new year.”
“I rise today to speak on a subject that most of us will deal with during our lifetime: ageing. Whether it be our own experiences or assisting our elderly friends and family members, most of us will deal with the aged-care system. As the member for Longman, I often receive negative feedback regarding the aged-care system. Whilst there are countless individuals who provide exceptional aged-care services, sadly not everyone has access to such services when they need them. The feedback I receive is often disappointing. Hearing stories of seniors who spend extended time in our hospitals due to a lack of services and spaces in nursing homes is not a sign of a functional aged-care system. Not only does this result in poor outcomes for our senior citizens; it also results in poor outcomes for the greater community, as hospital beds are limited.”
“There's no respite in temperatures that are nearing 40 degrees, with extreme humidity on the horizon. I'm asking the responsible minister, Minister Wells, if she can update what the federal government are doing to assist these vulnerable residents. Locally, I'm working with the local community organisations to try and source and deliver food and water to residents. If anyone's willing to help out tomorrow when this latest storm passes, please contact my office, and please stay safe everyone.”
“This week, like much of Queensland, my electorate of Longman has been literally belted by storm after storm. The community has endured very high winds, rain and hail. Many of the trees have come down. There has been debris causing damage to fences and homes, as well as roofs being literally blown off. This has resulted in many homes being without power and mobile coverage, and, of course, the mobile towers need power to operate. My office and I have been communicating with state and local members as well as Energex and telcos to keep the residents up to date. I received, 20 minutes ago, another alert that another storm with damaging winds and hail is due this afternoon. There are aged-care facilities and over-50s villages, in particular, on Bribie Island and Beachmere that still have no power, and residents are distressed.”
“I am always mindful that behind each aircraft is a group of volunteers who restore, maintain and share the stories of our Anzacs and pioneers. The museum's lease is expiring, and the team must relocate, secure an extension or find a new home. As a non-government organisation relying on admissions, donations and grants, they cannot do this alone. If we lose this museum, we lose more than a building; we lose a vital link to our past and a place where future generations can connect with our aviation story. I've created a petition and I urge all levels of government and our wider community to help ensure the Caboolture Warplane Museum has a future.”
“The Caboolture Warplane Museum is facing possible closure, and this is a real concern for our community. This museum is a living piece of Longman's heritage, and we can't afford to lose it. Since 1995 the volunteers at Caboolture have kept Australia's aviation history alive. Anyone who has stepped inside Hangar 101 knows it's not a typical museum. Visitors can sit in the cockpit of a Huey, stand beside the Douglas C-47 Dakota that once carried dignitaries and explore artefacts from World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. It's immersive and hands on, and it reminds us that history is something you can feel, not just read about. The museum also offers joy flights, and I've been up in a T-28 Trojan myself.”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Taipan Hydraulic Hose Systems is a proud family business in my electorate of Longman which has been in business for over 30 years. The power bill that owner Allan paid this month surged by 47½ per cent compared to what he paid for the same period in November 2022. When will power prices come down?”
“There's Beyond Dental Care, JJ's Deliveries, G'day Adventure Tours, Caboolture Workers Co-op, Encircle Community Services, Micah Projects Wellspring Moreton Bay, Belgravia Leisure, Beachmere Dental, Sesame Lane Care and Kindergarten, Buddy Brewing—good beer there—iReformer, Eckersley Print Group, Teeny Tiny Homes, Jumbo Skip Bins, Superior Engineering and the Lullaby Club. I know only too well how tough and thankless small business can be, especially when you're starting out or when times are as tough as they are now, so well done to you all.”
“Despite these pressures, Candice has demonstrated remarkable resilience and gone against the grain by expanding her three cafes during this difficult period, a feat many others have been unable to achieve. This makes her success all the more commendable and inspiring. What makes Candice's success even more impressive is the way she runs her business with the support of her husband, Richard, and the whole family, who work behind the scenes to help grow and sustain these ventures, which is pretty common in a family business. Through their combined efforts, they have built not just cafes but community hubs that bring people together. I also want to give a shout-out to all the other nominees for the small business awards from Longman. It's quite a list.”
“These establishments have become beloved local spots where customers are greeted with Candice's warm smile and genuine hospitality. So, whether you call in for a well-made coffee or just a friendly hello, the atmosphere created within her cafes reflects Candice's commitment to outstanding service and community connection. Running a small business in today's economic climate with record business insolvencies and closures is incredibly challenging due to the rising cost of living, which has led to the unfortunate closure of many local businesses in Longman. Rent increases, higher prices, electricity costs and increased wages due to inflation have squeezed margins for many small operators, especially in hospitality.”
“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge, Candice Kiss, the Moreton Bay Businesswoman of the Year, a hospitality entrepreneur and a dedicated small-business owner and operator. At the recent Moreton Bay Business and Innovation Awards, Candice's team achieved remarkable recognition, with her employee Olivia Tulloch being honoured as employee of the year and her cafe Annie Lane receiving the customer service excellence award. These accolades highlight not only Candice's leadership but also the strong customer focused culture she has fostered within her businesses. I say 'businesses' because Candice is the driving force behind three popular cafes in the Longman electorate: Annie Lane in Bongaree, Gather and Feast in Caboolture, and Ruby Tuesday in Burpengary East.”
“This is just another added cost and more red tape to cripple small not-for-profit organisations. The Woodford rail society also operates with two drivers, further reducing any safety concerns. Terry and Ryan from the Woodford organisation, who visited me recently, also highlighted that 12 other rail lines in Queensland face similar challenges, which raises broader concerns for the future of volunteer-run heritage railways across the state. The steam train is a cultural icon in the area, and the hope is that these new requirements do not inadvertently threaten the continuation of this beloved heritage service. We support safety but urge a balanced approach that protects both the wellbeing of our volunteers and the preservation of our local history.”
“I rise to speak today about an important matter concerning the Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Society—or ANGRMS, as they're commonly known—and the Woodford Railway. ANGRMS, which is a not-for-profit organisation, operates entirely through the dedication of volunteers who are passionate about preserving and running the iconic steam train on the Woodford rail line. These volunteers selflessly give their time and effort to keep a treasured piece of our local history alive. Recently, volunteers have been asked to self-fund sleep apnoea tests, which cost approximately $1,500 each. While we all understand and support the importance of safety, especially when it comes to operating any rail service, requiring every volunteer on a 15-minute closed track—one that is very low risk—to undergo this expensive test seems excessive.”
“I've been to schools recently for their graduation awards, like Carmichael College, Narangba Valley State High School and St Columban's. I was struck by St Columban's; two of their older school captains came in and reiterated their story from five years ago. One has gone down the pathway of higher education and is on her way to becoming a physiotherapist, but the other one was going to do university and he then went out and had a crack at sales and is now enjoying a real estate career. It doesn't matter how you start your journey in this life; it's how you finish. There's more than one pathway to success. Get out there, kids, and have a go. It's the Australian way. Good on you.”
“It's so good that, in the next couple of weeks, we've got a whole bunch of kids who'll be finishing 13 years of school. A lot of us can sort of remember that—it was a while ago. But there's some trepidation when people think: 'What the heck am I going to do with my life?' Can I say to those young people: look forward to it with anticipation and some sort of excitement, because you can do anything you put your mind to. For some people, that's going to be following the VET pathway. Some people are going through higher education. Some people will join the Defence Force or even take up a career with the emergency services. Whatever you do, do it with gusto and do it with pride because we live in a great country.”
“Then we bring in enough people in the areas where we have a shortage—instead of a lot of the unskilled immigration that's coming in at the moment, simply for political reasons. Let's think about our kids and our grandkids and make sure that they've got that dream of owning a home in this great country once again.”
“That's why, over the last three or four decades, both sides of politics have kept immigration to about 160,000 to 180,000 people. The reality is that we build enough homes on average for about 280,000 people. We grow organically by about 100,000 people. Do the maths. That leaves about 180,000. So that's why it was always at that level. But for some reason this government has tripled immigration over the last three years. That's just driven the price up. The problem is that it's our people—the Australian people, the citizens—that are suffering. It's our young people. We see these prices exponentially grow and grow and grow. It's crazy, and I'm calling on the government. We need to have a good hard look at this and reduce it and make sure we put the citizens of this country first and foremost.”
“Nineteen out of 20 don't think they'll ever achieve that dream, which many of us from my generation took as a given. That's what we did in Australia. It's been driven, no question, by outrageous immigration levels. We need immigration, and, unless you're 100 per cent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, the news is that we're all descendants of an immigrant or an immigrant ourselves. When we have controlled immigration, then our country is better for it. But, when it's out of control, it puts a great burden on the housing stocks, and housing isn't difficult. It's pretty simple. If you've got more people than you've got houses, the price goes up. If you've got more houses than you have people, the price goes down.”
“When I'm out and about in the great community of Longman that I serve, there are three things that people are most concerned about. Those three things are, first, cost of living—it's becoming unaffordable. They're sick and tired of going to the grocery store—every single time it seems to go up. Their electricity bills continue to rise. I speak to people who are constantly having rent rises, because landlords have to increase the rent to pay for the higher interest rates. One of the greatest challenges, which brings sadness to my heart when I go out and speak to young people at schools, is that the great Australian dream of homeownership is fast disappearing. When I ask for a show of hands for who thinks they'll own their own home one day, sadly, it's probably one in 20.”
“This extra cost simply has to be passed on to the consumer through higher power prices, which is what we are seeing right now, with real energy costs increasing by over 30 per cent over the last couple of years, and there will simply be more increases to come. This is just unavoidable. I want to encourage all Australians who want the truth about energy to include rainforest reserves in their research.”
“Steve also pointed out these alarming facts. This government's plan will require 31,000 wind turbine towers, which is six times the current national number, to be replaced every 20 years, operating 25 to 35 per cent of the time. It will require 28,000 kilometres of high voltage transmission lines, which is longer than a lap around the equator, and 7,800 kilometres of undersea cabling that will cut through fragile marine habitats. There will be 44,000 kilometres of new haulage roads, longer than Australia's coastline, and 584 million solar panels, covering 443,755 hectares, an area larger than metropolitan Sydney, to be replaced every 25 years, operating 18 to 25 per cent of the time.”
“Steve showed the audience photographs and video footage of the damage being done by these projects to the environment—to the flora and fauna of Australia's bushland. We saw before and after photos of how thousands of hectares of trees and bushland were cleared not only to install wind turbines but for access roads for vehicles to get to these turbines for maintenance. Steve has also, for the first time after years of gathering data which has been intentionally suppressed, provided a real, albeit conservative, cost of the renewables-only pathway. That number is frightening: $1.3 trillion. That's right, $1.3 trillion. Again, this cost is not from the coalition, but an independent conservation group led by a former Greens candidate. That is almost four times the $340 billion cost of nuclear to achieve decarbonisation.”
“But every energy source has challenges it must overcome. Long before politics, I had, and I still have, rooftop solar, as I believe that we all have a personal responsibility to play our own part, however small, in ensuring our environment is protected for future generations. But I wanted answers on the environmental and financial costs of the large-scale renewable projects the current government are spending billions of taxpayer dollars on right now. Last week I had the pleasure of seeing a presentation by Steven Nowakowski from Rainforest Reserves on the truth of large-scale renewable projects around the country. Steven is a former Greens party member and candidate who isn't afraid to ask questions about the detriments of large-scale renewables such as wind and solar.”
“The time that they will expect for that to take place in varies greatly, but one thing that doesn't vary much is that most don't want to pay any more for their energy for this to happen, mainly because they simply don't have the money in their already stretched household budgets to do so. The current government is putting all our eggs in the renewables-only basket to achieve decarbonisation. Before politics, I thought this sounded reasonable; however, now I've had the opportunity to dig deeper, my view on this has changed. I do believe renewables have a place, especially in household rooftop solar, even though there are concerns around their disposal at end of life and around damaged panels leaking pretty nasty stuff like cadmium, lead and the like into our home water tanks for us to consume.”
“That's not to mention that I will often not know what financial interests, if any, these people and organisations have that may affect the reports that they prepare. More and more, it seems to me, less and less of the information I receive is based on facts and science, and, more and more, it becomes about ideology and emotion. This makes our jobs in this place very difficult, but it is an issue that we must address as best as we can. When I speak to my constituents, the majority, but not all, want to see the decarbonisation of our energy grid at some stage.”
“One of the hottest topics at the moment in the electorate of Longman, which I proudly serve, is energy. The conversations are extremely varied, as is what matters to people when it comes to energy. For some, the priority is the environmental aspect; for others, it's about the reliability and guarantee of supply. But, for most, it is the cost. This diverse range of concerns tells me what most people already know. The energy plan for our country must be balanced and address these three issues of concern: affordability, environment and reliability. As a layman in the energy sector, like most members and senators in this place, I rely on data and reports from experts to form my views. This is also difficult because people with similar qualifications and reputations can have very different reports, data and opinions.”
“Of course, a lot of us were nervous about Reece Walsh because a lot of the time we don't know what we're going to get when it comes to Reece. They call him 'rocks or diamonds' for a reason, but he played probably the best game of any individual in the grand final on Sunday night. I want to acknowledge that and say: 'Good on you, mate. You had a crack.' And good on you, Madge, for backing him up. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, there's something in that water he drinks—Queenslander!”
“Well, I couldn't resist—how good is Queensland! It's been a great year. It's very rare that you have a year like this, no matter what state you're from. First of all, of course, we won the Origin against the odds, and the mighty Lions got up. Then the women's and the men's Broncos both got up on the weekend. Probably the most pleasing thing about all these results is that, in most cases, we weren't favoured to win—definitely not in the Origin. We didn't finish top of the ladder in the AFL or the NRL. In fact, the ladies beat the undefeated Roosters in the final, which was great, and it shows a lot of courage and guts to come back from that. The men's Broncos actually came back in three of the finals, which was absolutely tremendous.”
“And, best of all, entry is free—including a ticket to our lucky door prize. I'm a proud advocate for seniors in Longman. I believe in old-school values—values that respect and honour our elders. Seniors have worked hard and paid their dues, and they deserve peace of mind in retirement. These expos are a small way to show our appreciation and support. I encourage everyone to come along, enjoy the day and celebrate what makes our community great. I look forward to seeing you all there.”
“For the first time, we're introducing a kids' area and a petting zoo with llamas, goats, baby lambs, ducklings and more. An honourable member: When is it? You're not old enough! While grandparents take their time exploring the expo, the grandkids can have some hands-on fun, making it a day for every generation to enjoy together. We'll also have outdoor seating, live entertainment, a barbecue area, a coffee cart and a refreshment station because these expos are also about relaxing, socialising and enjoying a good day out. I'd like to thank both St Columban's College and Banksia Beach State School for their generous support and for welcoming the community onto their grounds. These expos are perfect for seniors, carers and families; they're a chance to connect, discover something new and share in the spirit of community.”
“By having stores manned by actual people—a new concept, I know!—they can ask questions and, hopefully, get answers to questions they may struggle to find in the online maze. Each expo will feature over 80 informative stall-holders offering services and advice on health, lifestyle, aged care, community programs, travel, hobbies and more. Whether it's finding support services, joining a local group or exploring new ways to stay active and engaged, there's something for every senior and every carer. This year, we've listened to feedback from previous years, where we were told that many grandparents have to look after grandchildren during the school holidays in this modern age. So we're going one step further: we're making it a day for the whole family.”
“I rise today to remind all those seniors in my electorate of Longman that the very popular seniors expo that I've held since I was first elected in 2019 is fast approaching. This year these events will be held on Tuesday 23 September at St Columban's College in Caboolture and Thursday 25 September at Banksia Beach State School on beautiful Bribie Island. These expos are more than just events; they are vibrant, welcoming community gatherings that reflect the appreciation and care we have for our seniors in Longman, and they have been well attended in the past. One of the reasons I run these events is that I understand that many seniors struggle with computer literacy. They were raised in a time when people dealt with other people face-to-face and not through a keyboard or electronic device.”
“She endured the chemotherapy treatment, which is quite harsh, as we know, but her attitude was superb. She came down today because the perception, which is incorrect, of course, is that bowel cancer is an old person's disease, and, more and more, younger people are being diagnosed with this insidious disease. She wants to spread the awareness so people don't have to suffer like she did. I want to encourage everyone out there, if you're having any sort of symptoms or irregularity in your bowel movements, by all means, no matter how old you are, please make sure you go and get checked out, because the fact of the matter is that, if they can diagnose it early, 90 per cent of the cases are cured. Please go and get yourself checked out and do yourself a favour.”
“This morning, I attended the #Never2Young Bowel Cancer Australia event in the Main Committee Room. It hits most of us because, in some way, shape or form, most of us have had a loved one or someone we know that's been affected by this terrible disease. My mother-in-law passed from bowel cancer, and, unfortunately, they got it too late. It was already in her liver, and she was gone a year after diagnosis, which was incredibly sad for the family. I met with an incredible young woman today, Tara Signall, who is just in her 40s and has suffered with IBS for many, many years. She came home from an overseas trip and something didn't feel right. She went and got checked and she was diagnosed, in her 40s, with bowel cancer. She has a young family.”
“That's how badly the Australian people treated these Vietnam veterans—he was actually ashamed to share that experience with his family. As I looked at the Australian flag, and I thought about all the soldiers and servicemen and servicewomen who have given their lives in service to the country, I thought that's why if it comes up next week I'm going to be proud to support Bill Thompson's bill to make sure that it's a criminal offence to desecrate our flag, because it means a lot to these servicemen and servicewomen.”