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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“We genuinely care, unlike this government who are all about flashy headline announcements. Orange Sky is a charity that provides free laundry and conversation for people who are experiencing homelessness or hardship, and it is one that I have championed and lobbied for. These services are free and used by many who are finding it tough and have limited options. At the last election, only a few months ago, I, backed by the coalition, championed for a $30,000 grant to assist Orange Sky to move into upgraded facilities in Mackay. The funds are insignificant in government coffer terms, but are very significant for the people in my electorate. I've written to the Prime Minister to highlight this funding requirement and have asked for bipartisan support. I look forward to the government's response in backing this funding.”
“She has little or no savings and nothing left to get back into another home, because—here is the kicker for these people—housing just got more expensive off the back of this announcement. More demand without supply means higher house prices and higher rents as well. I'm supportive of fewer housing based taxes and feel the rules should apply to all Australians looking to buy a primary residence. What I'm not supportive of are policies that will only put more pressure on supply and put the taxpayer on the hook for loan defaults. Sadly, homelessness is on the rise. It is the worst in living memory. We, the coalition, care about those that are doing it tough. We care about people who have fallen on hard times, whether they find themselves without a roof over their heads for the first time or they have been sleeping rough for a long time.”
“The demand that Labor is creating will only add fuel to the fire and make homes for these people even further out of reach, and they won't have access to the same conditions. I'm talking about the people who have lost everything. Perhaps their marriage broke down or perhaps they had no choice but to sell up because interest rates have skyrocketed under this government. How are they meant to get back into the housing market? Where is their hand up? As an example, to paint a picture, imagine a 50-something-year-old woman. She may have devoted her life to her children, taking time away from work to care for them, and now they're all grown up, but her marriage is over.”
“On the surface, that sounds great for first home buyers—well, for now, anyway. But it's a scam. It will end up a mess—a mess for our economy, a mess for current mortgage holders, a mess for the government books and eventually a mess for the first home buyers who purchase under this scheme. A five per cent deposit will probably end up being like 20 per cent today, because it's going to drive the market up. Again, lower deposit rates and creating greater buying power for first home buyers will not fix the problem. We need to fix the supply and demand imbalance first. We need to be building more and building quickly and efficiently. Time is critical. What about someone trying to get back into the market after previously owning a home? The scheme targeted at first home owners works against these people.”
“We need homes for every Australian. We need a housing policy that creates environments where everyone can find their own way into the housing market and stay there. We need actual housing policy that's more than writing a few cheques or throwing around big numbers with dollar signs. Getting housing policy right means getting supply right, and that supply needs to be in balance with demand. We need a housing policy where there's follow-through so that developers and builders can actually deliver so that the aspiration of homeownership is achieved more and more for everyday Aussies. Last week, Labor member after Labor member was rolled out to applaud the government's Home Guarantee Scheme of a five per cent deposit with the removal of lender's mortgage insurance for first home buyers.”
“Of course, I'd like to thank my campaign manager and wife, Raylene, and our children and their partners for their love and support and all their hard work through my campaign. Last, but certainly not least, I thank the people of Dawson for once again putting their faith in me, their trust in me, to be their voice in this place and to fight for their needs. The honour of being a federal member is one that I do not take for granted, and I will continue to work hard for them and to work collaboratively with any member of the House to advance the interests and the better living standards of the communities of Dawson. I extend an open invitation to all members of this place to come and visit my region and see firsthand what my people provide for our nation, what is needed for them to continue to deliver and what they deserve.”
“I give a shout-out to a couple of young fellas, Rory and Nate, who did a great job handing out, setting up, doing data collection, staying up all hours of the night, setting up booths in the early hours of the morning and working like Trojans. Well done, young fellas. We're looking forward to seeing where your careers are going to go in years to come. I must also mention David Cooper, Laurie Neilson, Sophie and Lawson Camm, Peter Byers, Chrissy Lando, Peter Hall, Trevor Townsend, John and Donna Carroll and my countless volunteers who gave up their valuable time in one way or another. Whether it was setting up, packing down, letterbox dropping, making phone calls, standing out in the weather or even just turning up with a cold drink for other volunteers, I say thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“Although the first test flight did not make low Earth orbit, it did get off the ground—for 14 seconds, I might add—and allow the Gilmour team to gather valuable data which will help lead to further launches in the future. Congratulations to Adam and James and the entire Gilmour space team. To the stars! Before I finish, I would like to make mention of a few people who, without, I wouldn't have the opportunity of this second term. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and thank my campaign team: Ian Shield, Ian Dean, Pauline Townsend, Mardi Mathieson, Jean McCubbin, Merewyn Wright, Amanda Hall, Mick Adam and Rosemary Menkens.”
“I look forward to reviewing our national energy mix based on economic merit and reliability, not ideology. As the new shadow assistant minister for manufacturing and sovereign capability, I'll be fiercely promoting Australian made manufacturing backed by Aussie talent and resources. If COVID has taught us anything, it's that we need to be able to stand on our own two feet as a nation. We need to manufacture, build, grow and develop in our own right. Speaking of sovereign capabilities, how about our very first Australian made rocket, Eris, which recently launched just north of Bowen. When I gave my maiden speech three years ago, I informed the House of two brothers, Adam and James Gilmour, who were on a mission to launch rockets with payloads of satellites into low Earth orbit.”
“To cover some of the pain from previous unrealised promises that power prices would be $275 cheaper, Labor rolled out a $75 per quarter subsidy. These subsidies will come off at the end of this year. With prices still rising, this means that next year households will have to find at least another $300 on top of what they're already paying, and that's just to keep the lights on. I support a balanced energy mix. I support what's practical, affordable and reliable. Let's be clear. Solar and wind is not a 24/7 solution. Wind and solar requires massive land use and infrastructure, and, once again, our farmers are shouldering the burden of Labor's green obsession. In this term, I have been appointed to the coalition's energy policy working group.”
“The only reason we haven't ticked the technical recession box is uncontrolled immigration. Let me be clear. Immigration is vital to our story as a nation. But, without proper planning and without controlled immigration, the result is a skyrocketing demand for housing, services and infrastructure, which are pushing prices up for Australians even further. And, while other development countries are shoring up their energy security, Labor is pursuing a renewables-only fantasy. It's ideological and simply not practical. We are one of the most resource-rich countries on Earth. There is no reason or excuse for our power bills to be among the highest in the world, and yet they are. Labor insists that wind and solar will solve everything and drive costs down. That's simply not happening.”
“Every time the Bruce gets cut, our shelves run bare. The people of Dawson shouldn't have to live like that. This is a critical national highway, not some hardly used backstreet. Labor's inaction impacting everyday living and costing lives is not good enough. I have campaigned to fix the Bruce, and I won't stop until we see some real investment, not just patch-up jobs and empty announcements. On housing, Labor promised 1.2 million new homes in five years. This target is slipping further and further away. Treasury's own predictions now show that the government targets are not achievable. Treasury documents leaked to the media also show that the government faces a choice: raise taxes or rein in their wasteful spending. On the cost of living, prices are still going up on all of life's essential items. Australia is in a per capita recession.”
“Farmers are already doing it tough. They don't need to be hit again. And where's the aspiration for our next generation just starting out? The rest of Labor's so-called promises are also on shaky ground. Back in January, Labor announced $7.2 billion for the Bruce Highway. It's now past midyear. The wet season is fast approaching, and very little has been done. Meanwhile, the roads keep deteriorating—more potholes, more fatalities and more chaos. At the beginning of this year, Whitsunday Coast Airport was cut off four times—four separate times, and for days at a time! The Bruce was also cut at Plantation Creek between Home Hill and Ayr for over a week, and this is the only connection from north to south. A flooded Bruce disrupts the movement of goods and essential supplies, as well as the safe movement of our people.”
“They promised more housing, and easing of cost of living, but we're living in a Labor-created cost-of-living crisis. They said green energy would mean cheaper electricity. Well, even the CSIRO said that's not right. And we've all heard the promise, over and over again, of a reduction of $275 in our power bills. We never heard of that again. Labor has cut the guts out of the NDIS, with zero consultation and zero notice. These cuts are a huge impact on people living with mobility impairments in Dawson. Next they want to slug Australians with a super tax on unrealised gains, which will hurt our farmers the most. Let me spell it out. How does this government expect a farmer to pay tax on income that they haven't even received—money that's not in the bank and never was? What if there's a drought? What if prices fall or machines break down?”
“Now that the parliament has been sworn in, I've written to the Prime Minister and asked for these commitments to receive bipartisan support and be honoured so that our families in our region can drive. The government made a lot of big promises during the recent election campaign, and I intend to hold them to account. Labor told my constituents that things would improve, that help was coming. They promised no cut to health care, yet the very first thing they did was slash the number of mental health sessions in half, from 20 to 10. They promised no new taxes and only tax cuts. Well, we've all seen how that's been going. They promised that the Bruce Highway would be fixed, boasting that the Labor government is the only government that will fix our Bruce. Let's see how that goes.”
“I'm also pleased to see the upgrade and expansion of VMR Whitsunday, a project I campaigned hard on, allowing this amazing team of volunteers to have a more creative and up-to-date operations centre so they can continue to keep our boaties safe on the water. For the 2025 election campaign I pushed for $5 million in funding to go towards a veterans wellness hub in Mackay. To have 4,000 veterans living in an area that has no safe place to go or receive support is simply not good enough. I've also campaigned on funding to go towards Orange Sky in Mackay, a service that operates washing machines and dryers for the homeless; Angel-Paws in Townsville, a refuge for abandoned animals; and many sporting clubs throughout the electorate, some of which are in dire need of the basics, like toilets, change rooms, and clubhouse builds and upgrades.”
“Some of our elderly are more concerned about their grandchildren's future than they are about their own current living conditions. Having been through tough times before, they know and understand what it means to tighten their belt. What if the damage has gone too far, irreversible for both the economy and the environment? That is why I will continue to fight for what I believe is just and fair, to get Dawson and rural and regional Australia its fair share. I am extremely proud to have had the AEIOU centre in South Townsville come to fruition in my last term. This centre provides a vital service of education and care for children with autism.”
“While North Queensland fuels the national economy and revenues flow to the cities, the returns we see in Dawson—well, to be frank, you'd be better off stuffing pineapples under your mattress. In Labor's last term, Dawson was all but ignored. Living standards went backwards. The cost of everything has spiralled. Farmers are being hit hard, and then they're being hit some more. Businesses have closed. People are having to choose between keeping heating and cooling or putting food in the fridge. The Bruce Highway is deteriorating further and faster. And essential services are less accessible and affordable. Dawson deserves better. Over the past three years the people of Dawson have spoken to me and they've shared their stories.”
“Let's see how Labor goes with these. In our section of the Great Barrier Reef, we have 74 of the most gorgeous tropical islands in the world. Of course I'm talking about the Whitsunday Islands. In Bowen and the surrounding regions, we have the largest production of vegetable crops throughout the winter months, worth approximately $650 million, generating roughly 1,500 full-time jobs and increasing to 2,000 more during the season. Our growers feed the nation. We're also home to around 400 kilometres of the more notorious and deadly section of the Bruce Highway—by the way, that last one I'm not terribly proud of. Time and time again, regional and rural Australia—regions like Dawson—get left behind under Labor. As I've just explained, we contribute so much, yet we receive so little.”
“This single facility supplies roughly 30 per cent of Mackay's electricity and slashes greenhouse gas emissions by around 200,000 tonnes a year. Paget is an industrial estate in Mackay and the largest manufacturing hub in the southern hemisphere. It is also the service centre of the mining sector just over the hill. Despite what this government says, this industry is vital to our country, creating thousands of jobs directly and indirectly. It generates millions in royalties, which keeps our economy ticking. Without mining, our country stops. At the opposite end of Paget, in South Townsville, Dawson boasts the Wulguru Group, one of the largest steel fabrication and engineering companies in northern Australia—g'day Bob! Dawson is also home to a major coal export terminal and two metal refineries—for now, anyway.”
“We are people of vision who take an idea from concept to application. We are innovators and entrepreneurs. We are everyday Aussies who just want to have a fair crack and enjoy their life. Behind wheat, sugar is Australia's second-most exported crop, generating around $2 billion annually. A significant chunk of that comes straight from Dawson, being the largest sugarcane-growing area in the country. How sweet it is. The sugar industry sustains thousands of jobs across Dawson, and the flow-on economic benefits to our communities are massive. Sugar isn't just about the sweet stuff in your morning cuppa. Mackay Sugar's Racecourse Mill runs a 38-megawatt cogeneration plant that turns sugarcane byproducts like bagasse into renewable electricity.”
“While the election result did not go the way I had hoped, I am 100 per cent committed to working with whoever I need to in order to secure the support, resources, infrastructure, and investment the people of Dawson need and deserve. I am also humbled by my new appointment as a shadow assistant minister for manufacturing and sovereign capability. It's a role that couldn't be more fitting for the region I represent. Dawson is a vast and vibrant electorate and, in my opinion, the best part of this entire country. It stretches from Mackay in the south to the southern suburbs of Townsville in the north. It includes the stunning Whitsundays, the communities of the Burdekin, and my home town of Bowen. In Dawson we grow, we build; we are miners, manufacturers, farmers, fishermen, tourism operators and even space pioneers.”
“I am proud to stand here for a second term, and I believe I am still the same Andrew who walked through these doors three years ago. My values have not changed. While I learnt a lot in my first term, the training wheels are off and my focus hasn't shifted. My priority remains squarely on the needs of the people of Dawson and the betterment of this great country. I want to take a moment to congratulate all the members of this House, and the senators, who have been elected to represent their communities. There is no greater honour than to be trusted by your community to represent their views, and to fight for their needs in our nation's parliament.”
“Will the government ever admit that their wind and solar only path is not the right direction for Australia? Will they ever allow for a sensible and balanced energy mix? If we get the energy mix and balance right, then a lot of Australia's problems will go away. We need to change the direction on energy because this country is not where it should be. So I'm calling on the Albanese Labor government to come good, look after the people that they were elected to represent, give them cheap, reliable and affordable power and stop sending their households and their businesses to the wall. It's not a fair go, and Australia is the country of a fair go. Bring back the coalition.”
“Australia is blessed with an abundance of resources: coal, uranium, sunshine, wind, water and gas. We should be using all of them to their full potential. We should have the world's cheapest and most affordable power. Instead, electricity prices are soaring, reliability is falling and households are feeling the squeeze. The gap between what Australians pay for power and what we should be paying just keeps growing. Under this Labor government, Australians are paying more, working harder and receiving less. Many Australians feel lucky just to be able to keep the lights on, lucky to be able to afford to put food on their tables and lucky if they can manage to hold on to a few dollars at the end of the week. That's not being lucky; that's just surviving.”
“How is a farmer, who is already doing it tough, supposed to pay a tax bill on a profit that they haven't even received a cent for? If more farmers sell their farms, there'll be less Aussie produce on the shelves and higher prices at the check-outs. A change to super affects everyone, and consequences go well above a handful of millionaires. We should be a country that unlocks our full energy potential, not one that locks Australians into rising prices through wind and solar; a country that supports small business, not one that burdens it with more red tape and higher costs; a country that celebrates our agricultural producers, not one that taxes them into selling up; and a country that reduces the tax burden, not one that sneaks in stealth taxes through the back door. We should back Australia-made products.”
“When Labor run out of ideas, which they clearly have, as they always do, they reach for the Australian wallet. They reach for the Australian public's wallet in order to splash the cash for headlines, hoping the public are distracted long enough to forget the government's energy failures. And, because the government have left the country with nothing but a trillion dollars in debt and a bunch of IOUs, they are desperate to invent new revenue streams to pay for these headlines. Take Labor's superannuation tax grab as an example. It's a proposed doubling of the tax rate on balances over $3 million. The plan is to apply to unrealised gains as well, which will hit farmers hard because, if the on-paper value of their farm goes up, the tax office will send them a bill.”
“After all, surely the other side of the House receives power bills too. The government is out of ideas and out of cash. Last week's so-called economic forum was nothing more than a glorified talkfest—a parade of buzzwords, platitudes and photo-ops. When the Treasurer announced the outcomes of the forum, not one word was said about energy, not one word was said about small business, not one word was said about driving down uncontrolled immigration and not one word was said about reducing taxes—it was only about creating them. While the Prime Minister and the Treasurer pat themselves on the back in Canberra, families in Dawson and across the country are sweating over their electricity bills and wondering how they can afford the weekly shop.”
“This is what Labor has created: a climate void of optimism. Reports from the CSIRO and Treasury confirm what Australians already know: the current path isn't working. In fact, despite the stories that the Minister for Climate Change and Energy tries to spin, the recent CSIRO report confirms that coal is currently the cheapest form of energy in Australia, yet we are winding back our coal-fired power stations while other countries are building new coal-fired power stations and investing in nuclear. And I can tell you right now that those countries all have lower power prices than Australia. Power prices are up; grid reliability is down. Investors are walking away from their major wind and hydrogen projects, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Even members of the government must be quietly questioning this failed energy policy.”
“Inflation continues to erode budgets. Productivity has fallen. National debt is surging with no serious plan to rein it in. The Prime Minister promised back in the 2022 election a $275 cut to every household power bill. Where is it? In Dawson, power bills haven't fallen; they've exploded. When power prices rise, jobs disappear, businesses close, and costs flow all the way to the family dinner table. Small business is suffering too. Labor don't care. They've long turned their backs on small business. Almost every policy they've introduced makes life harder for those who employ Australians and take the biggest risk. I speak with local businesses in Dawson every week. They're not opening new locations; they are closing doors. They're not hiring; they're laying off. And they're certainly not optimistic about the future.”
“Too proud to fess up, they hide behind spin and flash more cash to cover up the cracks, too embarrassed to come clean, and Australians keep paying the price. Energy is a central part of our economy. It is connected to everything: mining, farming, manufacturing, transport, small business and every household. When energy prices rise, the cost of everything rises with it, and that's exactly what we're seeing. Groceries, building supplies, freight, food production—every line on the family's budget has gone up. Everyday Australians trying to get ahead are being punished by this Labor government's choices. Without affordable, reliable baseload power, our economy shuts down, and you can't run a full-time economy on part-time power. Since coming to government in 2022, Labor has overseen economic decline that touches every household.”
“From cane farmers and fishers to cafe and restaurant owners, from young Australians trying to buy their first homes to pensioners in tears over their power bills, the message is clear: our country is struggling under Labor. Australians are worse off now than at any time since the Great Depression. At the heart of this crisis is one thing: energy. My grievance is the government's approach to energy. This government has bet the house on wind and solar. It's the 'wind and solar reckless race to a renewables-only energy future' policy, stubbornly refusing to consider a broader, more balanced mix. They've rejected the commonsense options like gas, coal and even nuclear, leaving our grid vulnerable, unreliable and unaffordable. They've bet the house and lost. But, instead of admitting defeat, they've doubled down.”
“This country is not where it should be. Australia should be one of the strongest economies in the world. We should be a global leader in productivity, competitiveness and opportunity. We should have the lowest energy prices in the developed world, not one of the highest. We should be backing small businesses and farmers, not burying them under red tape and rising costs. We should be a country that rewards hard work, not one where everyday Aussies are forced to choose between keeping the lights on or putting food on the table. Under this Labor government, Australia has gone backwards, and we've gone backwards fast. Across my electorate of Dawson, people are hurting.”
“Others have stayed on through extended placements and become integral parts of the Australian communities they serve. It's a model that uplifts individuals, communities and industries, both here and abroad. That is why I strongly support the continued advancement and expansion of the PALM scheme. So let's look after the PALM scheme. If it ain't broke, let's not try to fix it.”
“The PALM scheme provides workers from participating countries with the opportunities to earn significantly higher incomes than they could at home. These workers then use their earnings to further support their families and invest in their own communities, and often return home with new skills and financial security. The scheme is also a massive boost in international diplomacy and affirms Australia as a key leader in the region. The PALM scheme is a true partnership program in a time when geopolitical influence in the region is increasingly contested. Programs like the PALM are not just economic policy; they're good foreign policy. There are many success stories: workers who have gone home to start businesses, support relatives through school or build houses.”
“Weather and market volatility already make farming unpredictable enough. Removing the stress of finding workers through the PALM scheme makes a real difference in the day-to-day operations of farms right across Australia. The scheme is also helping to address critical skills shortages in other sectors. From aged care to food services to hospitality, regional and remote businesses often struggle to find people, and they need to keep operating. The PALM scheme fills these gaps with workers who are ready, capable and eager to contribute. Many employers invest in on-the-job training—building skills that last a lifetime—whether the workers return home or stay on for longer placements. But the benefit of this program extends far beyond our farms and the checkout. It is an important program for partnerships with our regional neighbours.”
“It was a constant challenge—one that many of my neighbours and fellow farmers across the country still face today. Crops don't wait; they must be planted and harvested within a narrow window. If there's no one to do the picking, the produce is left to rot in the fields and drop on the ground. That's a loss not only for the farmer but to our supply chains and ultimately to the household budget of every Australian. The PALM scheme provides certainty. With a reliable and willing workforce, farmers can plan with confidence. They know they can plant a full crop and have the hands they need to harvest it. Without that certainty, many are forced to scale back, and when supply drops, prices go up. It's the simple law of supply and demand. Labour shortages for rural and regional Australian farms mean high grocery prices at the checkouts.”
“However, it is essential that we don't just maintain this program but invest further in its growth and refinement. The need is real, and the benefits are profound. The PALM scheme was launched by the previous coalition government in 2021 to address the growing and persistent challenge to recruit seasonal labour in key industries. The scheme was introduced to streamline and consolidate previous schemes while creating better access to international workers for sectors like agriculture, meat processing, hospitality and aged care—industries that often struggle to attract enough local workers, particularly in rural and regional areas. As a third-generation tomato farmer myself I've experienced firsthand the difficulty of finding reliable seasonal labour.”
“I thank the member for La Trobe for bringing forward this important motion on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, or PALM. I fully support this motion and echo my colleagues' sentiments. The PALM scheme is not only a vital workforce solution for our agriculture and regional industries; it is also an important diplomatic initiative for relations with our international neighbours. The scheme holds particular significance for my electorate of Dawson, which boasts a large farming industry and whose largest winter crop includes tomatoes, beans, corn, capsicums—and let's not forget the famous Bowen mangoes. I'm pleased the PALM scheme enjoys bipartisan support. I commend the government for continuing to back this initiative, which was established under the previous coalition government.”
“This undermines the security of other programs where Australia is a beneficiary, like AUKUS. No wonder the Prime Minister struggles to get a meeting with the US President. Labor talk about a future made in Australia, but when it comes to space, a sector brimming with opportunity, they have not shown any serious concern. We are at a critical juncture. We have the chance to become not just a participant in space but a leader. We can leverage our geophysical advantage, homegrown talent and momentum from the pioneers like Gilmour Space to secure our place in the global space sector. But we must act now. If we invest in our sovereign space capabilities, we can create a thriving space industry—one that delivers jobs. Let's not just look up at the stars; let's boost our sovereign capabilities, advance our space industry and explore the stars.”
“The coalition recognised space as a strategic domain, committing $7 billion to sovereign space capability and establishing Defence Space Command in 2022. The coalition launched the National Space Mission for Earth Observation, a $1.2 billion investment to design, build and operate satellites here in Australia. The coalition backed Gilmour Space directly, awarding a $52 million Modern Manufacturing Initiative grant to support Australian launch capability. What have the Albanese Labor government done to the space sector since coming to power? They've cut it to pieces. They've slashed $77 million from key programs. Worse still, cuts to programs tied to the needs of our international partner the United States were kept secret. Satellites that would have delivered strategic data to the US have now been shelved without consultation.”
“It's not just to be dreamers; they can be doers. The Bowen Orbital Spaceport is strategically located at 20 degrees south and is set to become a national asset. Once Gilmour reaches orbit—and they will—they will send satellites and potentially even crewed missions into space. It could be so much more if only the current government shared the same vision. The former coalition government laid the foundations for Australia's space future. The coalition established the Australian Space Agency in 2018, investing over $2 billion in the civil space sector, with 20,000 jobs on the horizon by 2030. The coalition backed research and development, including the establishment of SmartSat CRC to focus on telecommunications and next-gen technologies, to support Australian businesses and to participate in NASA's Artemis program.”
“I watched it on my phone in the middle of a hall here at Parliament House. It was a major milestone in our national journey to the stars. While the rocket didn't reach low Earth orbit, it successfully lifted off—a major feat for its first launch. More importantly, it delivered critical data that will feed into future launches and support eventual commercial operations. This was far from a failure. It was a bold first step and a giant leap forward for our country's space endeavours. The Gilmour brothers, James and Adam, who I'm proud to say are good friends of mine, are visionaries. Their work is already inspiring the next generation. Kids in Dawson are now talking about becoming space engineers, scientists and even astronauts. There is now a credible pathway into aerospace for Australian kids.”
“I'd like to thank the member for Durack for raising this vital topic. As member for Dawson and shadow assistant minister for manufacturing and sovereign capability, I have a special interest in Australia's space sector and our sovereign space industry. Recently, the eyes of the nation were on the skies above my hometown of Bowen, where on 30 July a historic event took place. Gilmour Space launched their first test flight rocket, Eris 1, the first Australian-designed, Australian-built and Australian-launched low-Earth-orbit rocket. This was a proud moment for the Australian space sector. It was a proud moment for the local communities of Dawson and, indeed, our country. For the first time, we saw a sovereign launch capability take place right here on our home soil. Families across North Queensland watched on any device they could.”
“Small business needs lower power prices, lower taxes, less government interference and, above all, a government that understands them and backs them. We need to create an environment that stimulates small-business growth. We need to make it easier and more attractive for Australians to open their own ventures. We must make changes so that business has every opportunity to succeed, so that Aussies are buying Australian goods and services, so that passion and hard work can be rewarded, not punished. Backing small business means backing the Australian economy. (Time expired)”
“When the Treasurer announced the outcomes of the forum, not once was small business even mentioned—not once. If this government can't even acknowledge what small business brings to the table, I'm deeply concerned at the path that the country is on. I absolutely stand with small-business owners right across Australia, from farmers and fishermen to the mum-and-dad freight companies transporting local goods, to small manufacturers striving to make Aussie-made products, to transport operators and many retailers in every corner of the country. I stand with you, and so do my colleagues on this side of the House, because we get it. Those of us on this side understand that without small business this country suffers.”
“So I ask: why has this Labor government turned its back on small business, and why doesn't this government place greater emphasis on stimulating small business opportunities? Could it be that the Labor government is only interested in big business that they can unionise—a nice little cash cow there!—or people that are working for the government? The fact is, Labor simply doesn't care about small business. Their leaders have never worked in small business and don't understand small business. Both the Prime Minister and the Treasurer are career politicians. They have no idea what small-business owners go through just to keep the doors open. Last week they led a three-day economic talkfest—plenty of headlines, plenty of photo opps. But what was the result for small business? Nothing. Zero. Zilch. There was nothing in it for small business.”
“But if there's nothing to incentivise these efforts and there are only hurdles in the way, why would anyone want to run a business? And if no-one is running small businesses, there will be fewer jobs available, fewer options for consumers and ultimately slower economic growth. Over the past few years we've seen a steep rise in business insolvencies. The last financial year was the worst on record. Just think about that for a moment. If the population is growing—and it is, at a rapid rate of knots—and there are fewer businesses offering goods and services, what does that look like for an Australian future, particularly for the future of regional communities like my electorate of Dawson? What does it mean for our national economic prosperity?”
“Dawson is buoyed by having a rich resource service industry. We have a lot of motivated innovators with smarts to start up, run and grow a new venture. There is a lot of success in North Queensland. But the current economic climate is a tough environment in which to start and sustain a business, especially a business that is not directly linked to our mining sector. The fact is that retailers, cafe and restaurant owners, and other small business operators who are trying to make a buck are struggling. They're finding it hard to pay the rent, cover the power bills and pay staff—all while navigating mountains of regulatory paperwork and the risk of unintentionally falling foul of complex workplace laws. If they're lucky, the long hours they work might translate into something left over at the end of the week.”
“I thank the member for Goldstein for raising this critically important topic. In my electorate of Dawson, small businesses have been doing it tough under the current Labor government. Businesses are not starting up; they are closing down. Travelling across my electorate and talking to my constituents, I have small business owners tell me that they're at a loss to understand why this Labor government has forgotten them. Many are struggling against the tide of rising costs. Many with big dreams can no longer see a way of making their living through their passion. They are overwhelmed by confusing regulation, complex industrial laws and a tax system that does nothing to encourage a new venture. Australians with entrepreneurial spirit are instead choosing the safety of being employed by others.”