Andrew Willcox
Dawson · Liberal National Party · Australia
“I recently was honoured to visit the wonderful Domenica in the Burdekin, who celebrated her 100th birthday. To hear her deeply moving story of her arrival in Australia as a nine-year-old was amazing.”
“We all know Whitehaven, the best beach in the world, was completely robbed, but we'll let them off the hook this time with a cheeky warning. If you head further down south in Dawson to Yalboroo in the Mackay region, you can find Hold It Flats, which took out a well-deserved second place for the best camping and four-wheel-drive spot.”
“In our local businesses where you can get warmed up, Mal's Pies and Pastries in Oonoonba took out silver, fuelling an army of tradies for 30 years with beaut pies while also backing our community.”
“As a former tomato farmer, I know firsthand that the agricultural sector would be completely lost without the visas that allow international workers to fill critical gaps. Without them, crops would literally rot on the ground.”
“Giving a family a $5 weekly tax cut when their mortgage has skyrocketed by thousands of dollars is like tossing a glass of water onto a roaring bushfire. By continually fuelling government spending, the Albanese Labor government continues to stoke the inflation fire. Let's be real; $5 in this economy doesn't even cover a cup of coffee.”
“Under the Albanese Labor government, this delicate balance has collapsed into chaos. Labor's migration numbers have been far too high, and the entry standards have been far too low. The government allows unmanageable numbers to flood our capital cities, putting immense pressure on housing and infrastructure.”
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“Let's not forget about the stunning illustrations that bring this story to life. Focusing on Nikki's family, the pictures were created by talented artist Victoria Mikki of Ukraine, of all places. Each page's illustration captures the colours, movement and life of the cane paddocks, the machinery and the characters—all from photos Nikki supplied to Victoria. Nikki has taken her everyday experiences and turned them into something that will inform and delight children for years to come. Whether you're a kid growing up on the farm or one who has never even seen a cane harvester in action, this story is one for you to enjoy. Thanks Nikki for sharing your story and for showing us that there really is no drama when you have a heart as big as our farmers have and a strong connection to the land. No Drama Cane Farmer is a must read for everybody.”
“What makes No Drama Cane Farmer so special is how it blends family farming life with professional expertise to help educate young children—both rural and city—about the process involved in cane farming. Through her storytelling Nikki takes readers on a journey from planting the sugarcane to harvesting, processing and transforming it into the sweet sugar that we eat. She highlights the hard work and commitment of our farmers and the sophisticated process that brings sugar from our paddocks to the rest of the world. It is a beautiful example of how a children's storybook can entertain and also inspire and inform. Nikki told me how, going from living on a cattle property to becoming a cane farmer, she believes it is important for children to understand where food comes from. I could not agree more.”
“Out of bed and off we go! It's time to see how sugarcane grows. It is absolute delight to inform the House today of an educational children's book, N o Drama Cane Farmer . Written by a constituent of mine and Mackay local Nikki Townley, this book shines a spotlight of the vital industry of our country—sugarcane farming. Nikki, a passionate early childhood teacher and mother to four very busy kids, married cane farmer Charlie and lives in the middle of a cane paddock. In fact, it was during her maternity leave with her fourth child that Nikki somehow found the time and energy to put pen to paper and create this wonderful story, a story that is now being shared with children and families across our community and, soon, the nation.”
“My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Industry and Innovation. Can the minister confirm that the smelters in Tomago, Whyalla, Mount Isa and Tasmania are all either under administration, in crisis talks or seeking government bailouts and that the cost of energy is the reason for this?”
“Daughters Rhonda and Sandra, along with Christy and the wonderful team at Regis Aged Care in Ayr, decorated the dining hall for the heartfelt celebration that was attended by many family and friends. Of course, I couldn't resist asking Violet for her secret to long life. Her answer, with a cheeky smile, was 'milk and biscuits'—wise words. It was a joy to be part of these celebrations and to personally congratulate Violet on this incredible milestone. I thank her for her service and contribution to our community. Happy birthday, Violet.”
“I rise today to honour a remarkable milestone achieved by a remarkable lady and constituent of mine, Violet Liebrecht, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday. I had the privilege of meeting Violet and presented her with a certificate in honour of reaching a century of life filled with service, resilience and community spirit. Violet shared some incredible stories from her time serving in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, the WAAAF, which played a vital role in supporting the Royal Australian Air Force. Violet's service is an important reminder of the contribution that women make to our national defence. Continuing her contribution to our country, Violet's other career was as a dairy farmer, undertaking hard work and long hours to feed our nation.”
“The evidence is clear: access to timely and affordable support positively changes outcomes. We must remove every barrier that stands in the way. Let's do more than talk. Let's put a plan into action and save lives. I commend the bill.”
“I further seek that additions are made to the bill so these mental health plans are 100 per cent bulk-billed and can cover up to two calendar years, thereby allowing 40 appointments over two years before a return visit to the GP. This would help patients, ease pressure on the GPs, reduce admin and give people the time and space to heal. And I seek that the amounts in 2(a) and 2(b) be further increased to also include funding for the suicide prevention networks, like LifeForce training run by Wesley Mission, so that greater emphasis can be placed on local training for everyday people. The more people trained to recognise and respond appropriately to someone in need, the better. Suicide and attempted suicide are behaviours—final acts when someone feels they've exhausted every option.”
“To get a Medicare rebate, they first need to see a GP and devise a mental health plan. By the way, there is a cost to visiting this GP, because waving a green Medicare card is not the only plastic you need to see a GP in my electorate. Then, once the therapy starts, it could take several sessions just to open up, and, by the time real progress is made, the 10 Medicare rebated sessions are up. What then? They're left in limbo, forced to wait until the next calendar year, or, worse, they stop seeking help altogether. That's why I call for this bill to be amended. This bill should be amended to restore the mental health sessions accessible via Medicare from the current 10 sessions per calendar year under the Labor government to 20 sessions per calendar year, as it was under the previous coalition government.”
“If we are truly serious about turning the tide, then we need to make the system easier, fairer and more accessible. We know that many men, particularly in rural and regional areas, struggle to ask for help. Whether it's a farmer in the middle of a drought, a FIFO worker battling isolation or a veteran facing trauma from years of service, the journey to seek mental health support is often too complex, too expensive and too slow. Everyone's mental health journey is different. What works for one may not work for another. Having affordable and accessible help across all modes is vital. It's one thing to build up the courage to ask for help, but what happens when someone puts that courage into action and tries to get help? A trip to the psychologist can be daunting and costly. Many cannot afford it.”
“It's about local knowledge, cultural understanding and being there in the moments that count. The suicide prevention network runs community training events, school talks and early-intervention sessions, all tailored to the region's unique needs. I want to share some sobering facts. Suicide is now the 15th leading cause of death overall in Australia. Men are three times more likely to die from suicide. And here's what really hits home: there were 500 more male suicides in 2022 than 10 years earlier. That's an additional 10 men every week. And, while I don't have the most recent data, sadly I suspect that these numbers have gone up. That's why I thank the member for Hunter; his bill is a step in the right direction. However, more can be done, and this bill can be further strengthened.”
“I second the motion. I commend the member for Hunter for bringing forward this bill and for placing mental health—especially men's mental health—on the parliamentary agenda. I agree when he says there are way too many Australian men struggling with mental health, often suffering in silence, and I agree that the suicide rates among men remain too high. Mental health isn't a political issue; it's a human issue. Suicide prevention is something close to my heart. I'm the proud patron of the Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network, and I've witnessed firsthand the incredible work this grassroots group does to support our community. It's about volunteers helping neighbours. It's about local champions offering a hand—a phone call or a safe space for a conversation.”
“A second closure at Bloomsbury means residents must now travel to the nearby town of Midge Point, with services offered at reduced hours. This is simply not good enough. Communities in regional Australia should be afforded the same services as those who live in the city. These closures are just another slap in the face for our local residents, and the lack of response from the communications minister only the reinforces what we already know: Labor has no regard for rural and regional Australia.”
“I rise today to highlight the decline in basic services across rural and regional Australia, and my electorate of Dawson is not immune. Recently, a key Australia Post shop located in the main shopping centre of Mackay was shut down. Even though Australia Post assured locals that another branch was nearby, the former location had better access, especially for those with limited mobility and limited transport, the elderly and parents with bubs and children. My office has been inundated with emails and phone calls from locals expressing their anger and frustration. I have written to the Minister for Communications and expressed these concerns and I'm seeking answers and solutions. I am yet to receive a reply. These services are not a luxury; they are a necessity.”
“If we have to tweak it in some way, then that's what we'll have to do. Some ideas have come forward about stretching out the flooding component of it; let's have a look at that. It's still in its infancy. I think it's got a long way to run, but it's certainly a good vehicle for what's happening so far. I won't monopolise the time. I would like to thank the chair, Marion Scrymgour, for how she involved everyone. I really want to thank the deputy chair, Warren Entsch. He's been on this committee for quite some time. This week will probably be his last week in this place. He does some outstanding contributions and works really hard on this committee. With those few words, I think this is an outstanding report, and I commend it to the House.”
“I'll just read that one: The committee recommends that the Australian Government publish modelling on the cost and benefits of the inclusion of marine insurance in the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool. That's quite important. We have a lot of marine operators who have been asking us if we can have a serious look at that, so I hope that the government will have a look at that. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the secretariat. They have done a tremendous job on this. Our secretariat has bounced around a little bit, which has created a couple of headaches, but Alan and Ros have been with us through these last reports, and they've done a very good job. We pay way too much for insurance in northern Australia, and something has to be done. I'm not necessarily wedded just to this reinsurance pool.”
“The big insurance companies, the ones that have a book value of over $300 million, had to be in by December 2023, and the smaller insurance companies, with a book value of less than $300 million, had to be in by December 2024. That was only a few months ago, so we haven't seen the full effect of what this reinsurance pool has been able to do yet. It's fair to say that so far we have seen some savings. However, some of these savings have been eaten up because of the increase in costs of building. Building costs have gone up 30 or 40 per cent, so, any time they have had some savings within the insurance premiums, they seem to have been gobbled up. That is something that we do have to have a good look at. Recommendation 2 is about marine insurance. We've actually asked the government to have a look at that.”
“I rise today to support the chair of the Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia and the final report of the inquiry into the cyclone reinsurance pool. Just on the wording, there are a couple of extra statements that have been added, so it's not quite a dissenting report. The committee worked very well together. The chair and deputy chair gave us a lot of opportunity to be involved with things, and I think we put some very good recommendations forward. There are eight recommendations in total, and I would really like the government of the day to have a good look at those recommendations, because a lot of good work has gone into this. This is our second report. We had the first report tabled in March 2023, and that was a little bit early. The whole insurance pool was in its infancy. It's fair to say it's still quite in its infancy.”
“However, those opposite wasted $450 million on the divisive Voice referendum, wasted $29.9 million to rebrand existing mental health hubs and wasted $251 million to convince taxpayers the government is doing a good job. The Prime Minister needs to stop wasting taxpayers' funds. Spend the money where it's desperately needed and where it will save lives. Fix the Bruce!”
“In the last three years, federal funding for the Bruce Highway has vanished. In 2023 the Albanese Labor government slashed the historical Bruce Highway funding model from an 80-20 split between the federal and state governments to a fifty-fifty split, additionally cutting $483 million. So I was excited when I heard the announcement from the Prime Minister in January for $7.2 billion to fix the Bruce. 'The money's there,' he said—another Labor untruth. Senate estimates discovered only $432 million will be spent over the next three years. That is less than 10 per cent of what is promised. Only yesterday, another life was lost in a horror crash on the Bruce Highway south of my hometown of Bowen. Another life lost is a downright disgrace. The Bruce Highway is obviously not a priority for the Labor government.”
“Unfortunately, nominees in Townsville from my electorate missed out this time around. I'd like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you. We are so proud of you.”
“Award recipients for Burdekin were Citizen of the Year Scott McLean; Young Citizen of the Year Nicole Cervoni; Young Citizen of the Year Achievement Award winner Jacob Machin; the Community Event of the Year, Giru State School 100 year fete; the Community Event of the Year Achievement Award winner, the 2024 Burdekin Water Festival, 'Bring it back'; Volunteer of the Year award winners Ben Lawry, Kellie Lawry and Bella Lawry; Volunteer of the Year Achievement Award winner Mark Vass; Junior Cultural Award winner Jacob Machin; Junior Sportsperson of the Year Ashlee Colls; Senior Sportsperson of the Year award winners Jennifer Fotinos and Kristy Wassmuth; Lifetime of Service Gold Award winners Betty Durrant and Gwen Marshall; and Lifetime of Service Silver Award winners Joan Andersen, Shirley Gilmore and Linda Scott.”
“Awards recipients for Whitsundays were Citizen of the Year Matt Stokes; Young Citizen of the Year Cooper Groocock; mayoral award winners Dr Arthur Trezise, Brittaney O'Brien and Susan Gravelle; Volunteer of the Year Natasha O'Neil; community group award winner the Whitsunday Brahmans; senior sportsperson award winner Michael Kimpton; young sportsperson award winner Jure Portelli; environmental achievement award winner Eco Barge Clean Seas—well done, Libby; arts and cultural award winner Seagrass Theatre and Music Company; and Suzanne Connors and Kevin Maude, who received Australia Day achievement awards for outstanding members of Queensland SES.”
“Award recipients for Mackay were Citizen of the Year Rebecca Cooper; Young Citizen of the Year Murray Macgroarty; Lori Burgess Community Volunteer of the Year Bonnie Spratt; Brenden Borellini Access and Inclusion Achievement Award winner Peter Sumpter; senior sports award winner Lutie van den Berg; young sports award winner Monique Bobongie; arts and culture award winner Steven Pritchard; environmental achievement award winner Maya Harrison; and community group award winner the North Mackay Sinkers.”
“Australia Day is more than just a public holiday; it's a time to reflect on our history, appreciate our freedoms and celebrate the values that unite us. Each year the Australia Day Awards shine a light on the quiet achievers, those who dedicate their time, energy and passion to helping others without seeking recognition. Through volunteer work, community service, environmental efforts, sporting achievements or cultural contributions, these individuals and groups strengthen the fabric of our society. I attended a number of Australia Day award events across the electorate of Dawson, and I'm honoured to congratulate a long list of winners.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. The Albanese Labor government has created a cost-of-living crisis, a gas crisis, a crime crisis, a rent crisis, an energy crisis and a housing crisis. New Motor Trades Association analysis confirms that Labor's family car and ute tax will slug Australians thousands of dollars more for a family car and ute. When Australians are paying more for everything, why is this government imposing thousands of dollars of additional costs on Australians in this Labor-created cost-of-living crisis?”
“Then there's the killing off of the agricultural visa—what a turnout that is—just to keep your union mates happy. What about the workforce shortages? It's absolutely ridiculous. It's clear that Labor is no friend of farmers, fishers and miners. Vote them out at the next election. Get rid of them. Get us back on track.”
“This is what you actually need to happen. Electricity bills are going through the roof under those opposite, and this is after a promise that we would be $275 better off. Where's that? 'By 2025'? Here we are. Electricity prices are going through the roof. Why not provide some cheaper electricity so that farmers can grow some more cane? The cane photosynthesises, pulls carbon out of the air and is better for the environment. While we're talking about water, what about cutting all the dams? That's the other thing you've done. For Urannah Dam in my electorate, there was a commitment for $480 million, and what did those opposite do? They came in, slashed and burned. When you slash, you can't grow anything without water. But you probably wouldn't know because you probably don't know what a farmer looks like.”
“I've seen firsthand that they have a vet on board and that all the people around the area are looking after the sheep. This is what they do. But no, what has Labor done to keep their Greens mates happy? They shut this industry down. These are multigenerational farms. I've spoken to farmers from WA who are the fourth and fifth generations—not for long! Value add? I tell you what, they're totally delusional. You need to get out and go and actually talk to some of these people. What's Labor done for energy for farmers? The electrical bills have gone up by more than 30 per cent; they can't afford to pump water. And to add insult to injury, what are you doing? You're putting solar panels on good quality agricultural land. You're putting solar panels on land that grows good-quality food and fibre that feed the nation.”
“Now the vehicles that we drive—like Hiluxes, Rangers, Patrols, LandCruisers and those sorts of things—are going up in cost by between $10,000 and $20,000, according to our car dealers, all to try to get people into this electric fantasy that simply won't work for rural and regional Australia. One of the biggest blights I've seen is the killing off of the live sheep trade. Make no mistake. We understand it's live sheep today and cattle tomorrow, all under the guise of keeping your little mates from the Greens happy, so you can roll over and get a little belly tickle from the Greens. We get it. We see it all the time. But I've been over and seen Western Australia and I've been on the live sheep boats. I've seen the ventilation that comes down and looks after the live sheep. I've seen the pens and how much room they have in there.”
“Newsflash—a gillnet doesn't go anywhere near the Great Barrier Reef. Can you imagine what a net would be like around coral? It's too silly for words. What have they done with biosecurity? Labor is proposing to tax our farmers for the biosecurity risks of their overseas competitors. Nowhere else in the world does this, but this is what they're trying to do. It's absolutely ludicrous. The family car and ute tax is another assault on rural and regional Australia. When you're a farmer, you can't use an electric vehicle. They can't carry the weight, they can't tow the load and they can't cover the vast distances. There are not electric charging stations within close proximity to be used.”
“I've always found the member for Hunter to be a very straight shooter. Unfortunately, on this one, he's missed the target by a long way. He's missed the target by an extremely long way. Let's have a look at what Labor has done. Labor has done nothing for the agricultural sector but tie it up in red tape and green tape. Let's have a look at what else they've done, starting with the fishing industry and the ban on gillnets. The banning of gillnets put over 90 fishermen in my electorate of Dawson out of business. This wasn't done by any scientific means. This was political science. This was a sneaky little deal done by the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, to make UNESCO and the Greens—under the Labor-Green alliance—happy, all under the guise of saving the Great Barrier Reef.”
“It has been matched by the opposition. It's very important that this money doesn't all get spent down in the south-east corner. It needs to come into my electorate of Dawson and do some good where it is needed the most.”
“It's how we get our produce to market, and it is how our families get around safely. To have all these blockages is just not acceptable. It just goes to show that the Back Our Bruce campaign, which I have been running and which has been supported by all my federal compadres up and down the Bruce Highway, is certainly warranted. I am extremely concerned about the number of potholes that are available. There is a conga line of potholes. If you could work out a way of putting a roof over those potholes, we could solve some of the Labor created housing crisis that we're experiencing at the present point in time. The other thing about potholes that I am worried about is people swerving and potentially running into incoming traffic. We desperately need some of the $7.2 billion announced by this government. Thank you, Mr Albanese, for that.”
“What this event has highlighted is the poor state of the Bruce Highway. In my electorate alone, the highway was blocked at Goorganga Plains. The previous coalition government provided $10 million to go towards working out a plan to fix that. Unfortunately, the state Labor government sat on that, so nothing happened. It was blocked there. A T-section on the Bruce Highway at Hamilton Plains was blocked. Myrtle Creek was blocked. Albeitz Road, or 'Peter's Flats' as the locals call it, was blocked. Wangaratta Creek was blocked. Plantation Creek was blocked, and it's still blocked today, but, thankfully, there are some heavy vehicles being allowed through. It was blocked at Barratta and at Alligator Creek. This is simply not good enough. This is how we get our supplies up from the city.”
“She has a black belt in karate, and she was mopping out her hairdressing salon. I hope you get back up and running as soon as you can, Zoe. There was a car collector there, and he had a lot of cars go under. The post office and the corner store had water through them, so that wasn't very good at all, but they are a very resilient community in Giru, and they got straight back on with the job. At Cungulla, they had water in houses and everything, including some of their community assets as well. The little community of Nome had a lot of fences and outdoor areas breached. Some of my major concerns are the sewage within the area, particularly around the septic tanks and those sort of things, which is now floating around the yards—please be careful!—and also the damage to farms. We need to make sure that we keep an eye on that.”
“We look after our mates. We get together, and we make sure the elderly, our neighbours and everyone in the whole area is okay, so well done to the community. It's very fortunate that in my electorate we had no loss of life. Unfortunately, a little bit further north, there were fatalities, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families at this very difficult time. After we could start to move around, I started to travel to the smaller towns. My first stop was to Gumlu, and I caught up with the kids at the Gumlu school, some of the parents and teachers, and some farmers just to see how they fared. Unfortunately, some of the farms are not going so well. Then I was off to Giru. Quite a bit of floodwater went through houses and businesses in Giru. I met Zoe, who was a pocket rocket.”
“I rise today to provide a brief brief on the major flooding events happening in the north of Australia at this present point in time. We are now in the recovery phase, although I'm asking everybody to please still be careful, because there is some more rain forecast for the next day or so. I would like to give a big special mention to the disaster management teams—the local disaster management groups of Mackay, Whitsunday, Burdekin and Townsville—who have kept our people safe and kept the whole event organised. I'd also like to give a big shout out to the first responders—the police, fire and ambulance. The job they have been doing is second to none. To our SES workers: well done to those guys and girls. And last but not least, there is the community. The community has bonded together. It what we do in north Queensland.”