Leon Rebello
McPherson · Liberal National Party · Australia
“But it's becoming really frightening when there is nowhere else to go if i can no longer afford rent and health care too. Another person said: As a still working, self funded semi retiree (73years) old, I feel disillusioned and disgusted by our current govt, who seem to be hell bent on removing any incentive to be a self sufficient, hard…”
“I'm going to read out some of the comments that ordinary Australians in the 65-plus category have sent to me and give them a voice in this place, because those on the opposite side of this parliament are prepared to go against them. I quote one person: 'That's a joke, Leon. We currently struggle to maintain existing low cover.”
“A lot of them are hanging on by the skin of their teeth financially, when they need their insurance the most and after paying premiums for years with minimal claims. Labour will pay the price if they mess with older Australians … Another person said: So this is over $1200 for the two of us.”
“We received over 2,000 responses to those surveys, and most of the responses focused on the fact that these are older Australians who have worked for this country, who have done the right thing for so many years, and now they're finding themselves in a really difficult spot as a result of this government's characterisation of them.”
“And I say to those opposite, the ones who have contributed to this debate and those who are sitting in the chamber today or watching, you should really look at yourself and look at the content of what we're saying, because this is about your parents, it's about your grandparents and it's about people that you represent, or are supposed to…”
“I commend my friend and colleague the member for Gippsland for moving this motion in relation to the government's failure to govern for older Australians. I am livid.”
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“The past several weeks have been an incredibly busy time for the southern Gold Coast, and I would like to take a moment to put a very special achievement on the record. Recently, our community gathered to celebrate 100 years of our much loved Tugun Surf Life Saving Club. For a century, generations of volunteers have braved the surf and the seasons to keep our coastline and our community safe. It was an honour to join them in celebrating an extraordinary history and in recognising some of the dedicated club members who have built the organisation into what it is today. As we look to the next 100 years, I have every confidence that Tugun Surf Life Saving Club will continue its proud legacy of service and contribution to our community.”
“But these changes are disproportionately hitting hardest for those participants with some of the most complex needs—people for whom travelling to appointments is not simply difficult but impossible. To halve their travel allowance without consultation is to halve their ability to access support. I will continue to raise the voices of my community in this place, and I urge the government to take those voices very seriously. The NDIS must work for those who rely on it.”
“Meaningful reform cannot be done by spreadsheets alone. It must be strategic, evidence based and carefully implemented with clear transition paths. Providers across the Gold Coast tell me these price settings look less like reform and more like a blunt savings measure. They've urged the government to tackle waste, fraud and duplication, to standardise reporting and to accelerate early intervention pathways—not to pull funding levers that choke off access. When travel allowances are cut and specialist therapy is benchmarked against the wrong services, those with the most complex needs pay first and pay most. The NDIS is supposed to be there for those who need it most. It's important that the scheme is efficient and targeted to ensure long-term sustainability.”
“When making changes to the NDIS we must remember that if delivering services isn't viable for providers, there will be no-one left to support participants. With that being said, I recognise growing need for greater efficiency and integrity in the NDIS because every dollar we invest should reach the people that it is intended to help, and the scheme must have the financial sustainability to endure for the long-term. We all recognise that the NDIS must remain financially sustainable. This year the scheme is costing taxpayers around $48.5 billion, projected to rise to $52.3 billion next year and $63.4 billion by 2028-29. These are significant figures. But ensuring sustainability cannot mean undermining access. That balance requires careful thought, proper consultation and an approach that puts participants at the centre.”
“They explained that the rates being used for comparison were based on musculoskeletal physiotherapy, a completely different service to the highly specialised, intensive care required by many NDIS participants. Physio 4 Kids told me this flawed benchmarking leaves providers questioning their viability and families fearful of losing access to essential support. During my meetings with local providers, I heard the same story over and over again. Providers are already underselling their services to put participants first. A local physiotherapist told me that each appointment with a participant, perhaps billed for two hours, comes with upwards of four hours worth of paperwork and reporting. That is time and cost the providers currently absorb for the sake of the participants they serve.”
“Labor's approach has been blunt, heavy handed and, as many providers have told me, entirely disconnected from the realities on the ground. Recently, I met with Ross from Custom Prosthetics and Orthotics in Mudgeeraba, one of the many providers and participants I have spoken with since these changes came into effect. Ross shared the story of a Coolangatta resident, a recent amputee who, having been fitted with a new leg, is now unable to access the physiotherapy required to relearn how to walk using that new leg. This is the cost of Labor's ill-considered decisions. I also met with Physio 4 Kids in Robina, who raised serious concerns about the assumptions these changes are grounded on.”
“I rise tonight to speak about an issue that I am incredibly passionate about. It's a decision of this Labor government that's having devastating impacts on members of my community. The same prime minister who ran a health-cuts scare campaign against our former leader has now stripped health and disability care funding and access from our community's most vulnerable. When this Labor government make decisions about numbers on a page, they seem to forget that those numbers represent people. Right now, people in my electorate are paying the price for Labor's poor decisions. On 1 July, Labor allowed new NDIS pricing arrangements to come into effect. These changes were thrust upon participants and the sector with very little opportunity for preparation, and the impacts are already being felt across the country.”
“Labor's failures on housing are not just statistics. They are shattered aspirations. They are young Australians who are priced out of their first home. They are families unable to find a rental. They are the homeless sleeping rough in a country that should do better. The people of McPherson have not sent me here to accept this decline but to stand against it. The coalition will fight for a future where effort is rewarded, where supply meets demand and where Australians—not unions, not super funds and not the government—own their homes. Housing is more than shelter. It's the foundation of family, the foundation of community and the foundation of independence, and it must never be surrendered.”
“If we want to keep the dream of homeownership alive, we cannot simply tinker at the edges. We must be bold enough to imagine and to build, because the answer to a housing shortage is not simply going to be solved by increasing demand. It's by addressing supply. Housing is not just an economic issue. It's a cultural one. It's about aspiration, independence and belief in one's own effort. We believe in supply, not spin; in cutting red tape, not adding to it; in supporting the vulnerable, older Australians, women fleeing domestic violence, indigenous Australians and our youth not through empty promises but through policies that can actually deliver real outcomes and, in this case, make housing more affordable. Above all, we believe in keeping the Australian dream—the dream of homeownership—alive.”
“I quote from this article: The only problem that I see with the Gold Coast is that we only built one. We should look at the Gold Coast as a model for the future of Australia. I want to see six or seven more Gold Coasts by the end of the century. At the end of World War II Australia was home to seven million people. A decade later Australia added two million residents on the back of the baby boom and Mediterranean migrants. Where did Australians live? Mostly in the same five big cities we live in today: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Since WWII we have grown the country by 20 million residents and the Gold Coast remains the only new sizable city we added to the mix. The rest of the growth was squeezed into the same cities we occupied in 1945.”
“Australia has always grown by thinking big, but in recent decades we have stopped dreaming. We have stopped building. Instead, we cram more people into the same few cities, driving prices up, infrastructure down and the quality of life lower. We must think differently. We must build anew with new cities planned from the ground up, with housing, transport, industry and services integrated from day one. They would be cities that relieve pressure on Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane while creating new centres of opportunity. This is the same vision that built the Gold Coast, that built Canberra and that transformed Western Sydney. I refer to a fantastic article by Simon Kuestenmacher that was in the Australian on 21 August: 'One Gold Coast is not enough, Australia needs more new cities just like it'.”
“Rents will rise, choice will fall and ordinary Australians will find themselves tenants in a country where they once could have been owners. And that takes us to the CFMEU, a union dripping in corruption, now expanding into residential housing. Independent estimates say their involvement inflates construction costs by 30 per cent. That is a tax on every new apartment, every new build and every young Australian's dream. The coalition's put forward a bill to keep taxpayer money out of the CFMEU's hands, but Labor won't support it. Why? It is because, to them, ideology trumps integrity. This is where the coalition is different. We don't just oppose Labor's values; we offer a vision. In my maiden speech in this place, I spoke about the great nation-building task of starting to think about creating new cities.”
“At Senate estimates, we discover that Labor are not even building homes; they're buying them. They're competing with Australians at auctions, driving up prices. It's a policy so absurd you could not script it. Perhaps most concerning is where Labor's housing dream truly lies. It's not with families; it's with big super funds—often those that are tied up with or owned by the CFMEU. Labor wants Australians to rent homes owned by unions, not own homes themselves. They've gone to extraordinary lengths to hide correspondence showing super funds lobbying to weaken transparency rules. When questioned, the Treasurer blocked the Senate from seeing the truth. What will happen if big super dominates the housing market? What will happen?”
“Labor claims to cut red tape, but the truth is they multiply it—5,000 new regulations, 400 new laws and nearly 3,000 pages of construction codes. They smother builders and developers in paperwork, and then we all wonder why fewer homes are being built. Australia's become addicted to bureaucracy. We now have 35 per cent more laws than Canada, a country nearly twice our size. What's being suggested is not reform; it's regulatory quicksand. It kills ambition before it even begins. Labor's flagship, the Housing Australia Future Fund, is one of the greatest public policy failures of our time. It has $10 billion taxpayer dollars tied up in a fund, yet no-one can tell us how many homes it has actually built. At one moment, the minister says 2,000 homes. At another, the Minister for Finance admits zero.”
“Under Labor, that's dropped to barely 170,000. At the very same time, they've presided over the largest population boom since the 1950s. More people, fewer homes—that is Labor's legacy. Homelessness is now at its worst in living memory. Services report surging demand, especially among women and girls. Very recently I had the opportunity in my electorate to visit a place in Burleigh and meet with Rosies, who do fantastic work in our community providing food and speaking to people who are homeless and who are struggling—those people who are seeing the brunt of this housing crisis. Labor's much heralded promise of 1.2 million new homes by 2029—what happened to that? Their own Treasury officials say it will not be met.”
“This new version does nothing to increase supply. Even Treasury admits that Labor's changes will drive up prices. Former RBA economist Martin Eftimoski warned that this policy is like 'pouring gasoline on a fire'. Young Australians already struggling will now be forced to chase homes that sprint further out of reach. And who carries the risk? It is not the government but the taxpayer. A $60 billion liability sits on the shoulders of ordinary Australians and future generations. This is not policy for those who need it; it's politics dressed up as compassion—bigger loans, greater defaults and taxpayers footing the bill. And what about the broader picture? Labor has spent more on housing than any government before it—$43 billion—and yet Australians are worse off. Under the coalition, close to 200,000 homes a year were being built.”
“I rise today to speak not just about housing policy but about the very foundation of the Australian story—the dream of homeownership. For generations it has been the great leveller—the proof that through effort, sacrifice and determination, any Australian, no matter their start, can own a small part in this country and call it home. That dream's now slipping away. Under Labor it's not just delayed; it's being dismantled. When the coalition created the Home Guarantee Scheme, it was targeted, it was careful and it was compassionate. It was designed for those hardworking Australians who could service a mortgage but who struggled to save the deposit. It was a helping hand, not a handout. Labor's taken the policy that once empowered Australians and turned it into something totally different. What was once a hand up has now become a handbrake.”
“We live in a great democracy where every Australian has the freedom to voice their opinion, to peacefully protest and to be heard. But that right must never come at the expense of respect for those who have secured that very freedom. Disfiguring a war memorial is not political expression. It disrespects our history and dishonours our veterans. Our veterans deserve better. They deserve to be honoured, not desecrated. We must reaffirm the respect, gratitude and reverence that every Australian owes to those who fought for our freedom.”
“I recently had the privilege of joining veterans, their families and our community at the Currumbin RSL to mark Victory in the Pacific Day. It was a moving ceremony, a moment to reflect on the end of the Second World War in the Pacific and on the courage of the Australians who stood in defence of our freedom. As always, I was struck by the quiet dignity of our veterans and reminded of the gratitude we owe them for the prosperity we enjoy today. That is why what occurred in Mudgeeraba over the following weekend was so deeply disappointing. The war mural which depicts the Battle of Beersheba, one of Australia's defining victories in the First World War, was defaced with political graffiti. To vandalise a memorial of this kind is to dishonour the men of the Light Horse and all those who have worn our nation's uniform.”
“In closing, I'll say that the commitment of the coalition in this space remains strong. I believe that, in a country such as Australia, we are blessed with incredible opportunities and we are very lucky in terms of not only our geography but also the country that we have created. Health care is something that we as members of parliament should always strive for at the highest standards. We in the coalition will always do that. We will continue in our strong track record in support of the PBS and, in doing so, support the men, women and children across Australia who rely on medications in order to go about their lives and live lives as Australians that are happy and able to contribute to Australia.”
“I think that people on the ground in my seat and around the country are somewhat over reviews. We need to see action now, and that's important if we are going to provide that equality of opportunity as to health care that I spoke about earlier. We, as the coalition opposition, support this bill, but we do so while highlighting the problems and the delays that this government has caused to listing medicines on the PBS—in particular for women, but also for everybody else. I go back to the point that it is absolutely critical that we, here in this place, understand that our ability to continue to act for the benefit of Australians, in listing more medicines on the PBS, rests upon our ability to manage our economy well and to make sure that we are spending in an appropriate fashion.”
“So, when those opposite speak about their credentials on women's health, I am somewhat concerned that we are also seeing these delays from this government that claims to be well-credentialled in that space. That's just not good enough, because we all know that Australian women must have affordable access to the medications and treatments that they need—especially now, as they face quite high healthcare costs. On the health technology assessment review, which was commissioned by the former coalition government, we haven't really seen any movement either. The release of the review was delayed, and it's one of so many different reviews—in fact, 70 reviews, highlighted in the department of health's incoming brief—that were conducted in Labor's first term.”
“I understand that, before the election, the government announced the listing of an important medicine for endometriosis, and I've spoken to so many women—in particular, some young women in my electorate—who are really struggling with endometriosis. The relevant medication, Ryeqo, was listed on the PBS by the government, and that's great news. It's great news for women who suffer from this chronic condition in Australia and in my electorate of McPherson as well. But that medication had been recommended for listing on the PBS for more than a year before the announcement was actually made, and that level of delay is problematic for the people who depend on this to ameliorate their quality of life.”
“The consequences of that for people in my electorate and across Australia are that it has delayed their ability to access their medications, and sometimes the consequences of that are beyond comprehension. The reason that that occurred is because the relevant funding was not provided to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee through the PBS. So, whenever we talk about health care and about providing assistance to Australians by increasing their ability to access medications, first and foremost we need to talk about the economic capability of the government to do that. A previous speaker spoke about the Labor government's record on women's health. We have seen some concerning delays in the listing of new medicines on the PBS under this current government, and that includes in the space of women's health.”
“The point I make here is that we're only able to do these things and reduce the cost for people who need these medicines when we have strong economic management. As a country, if we don't consider how we're going to manage our economy, the long-term ability for not only this government but also future governments to provide for Australians, whether it be in health care or not, will seriously be jeopardised. And we've seen this in the past, in 2011, when the Gillard Labor government stopped listing new medicines on the PBS because, by their own admission, they'd run out of money. I understand as well that late last year almost 50 medicines were deferred from consideration for listing on the PBS, under the watch of this Albanese Labor government. What has that done?”
“The coalition took this policy to the last election as well. We are very proud of our strong track record on the PBS. When we were in government, we made around 2,900 new or amended listings to the PBS. That provided Australians with more affordable access and came to an overall investment of around $16.5 billion. So our commitment to making sure that Australians have access to the medicines they need remains rock solid. The coalition has, for a long time, held the view that all medicines on the PBS that have been recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee should be listed. That's in stark contrast to Labor, who stopped listing new medicines on the PBS the last time they were in government because they ran out of money.”
“We've had a number of people unsure about whether they can actually afford access to medications and they've had to prioritise their electricity bills, groceries and other things to keep them going. It's no surprise that the coalition will support the government on this bill because it's one that will reduce the cost of medicines to Australians, including those in my electorate of McPherson. However, I might speak to what the bill is doing. We've had a situation where medicine in Australia—I've always believed that it's fundamentally about providing that equality of opportunity. In many instances, people are disadvantaged because of their circumstances, because of their genetics, because of matters that are no fault of their own. This is about bringing them up to scratch with everybody else and giving them that access to medication.”
“I rise to speak on this National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025 because it's a bill about access to health care and the medicines that people need to go about their lives. During the recent campaign, I had an opportunity to doorknock and speak to a number of people across my electorate of McPherson, which is the southern Gold Coast. During that time, I had some quite difficult and challenging conversations with a number of individuals who found themselves, despite being on medications listed on the PBS, in situations where they had to choose whether or not they would purchase those medications. They had to do that for a very concerning reason: Australia's cost-of-living crisis.”
“So the question is simple: what will be different this time? Sadly, if Labor's history is any guide, the answer is: nothing.”
“Right now, too many people are left waiting, and when care is delayed the cost is not just borne by the individual; it is felt by families, schools, workplaces and the whole community. Even if clinics open tomorrow, who will staff them? Australia is already short of GPs and nurses. The mental health workforce is stretching to breaking point. Psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors cannot keep up with the demand. Unless we train and support more professionals, all the press releases in the world won't deliver the care that Australians need. Our country deserves better. Australians deserve care that is faster, fairer and closer to home. But, under Labor, what they see is patchy access, longer waits and a workforce that is pushed to its limit. That is the truth. Behind all the government's self-praise, Australians are being let down.”
“People are experiencing distress but facing long waits, higher costs and, in some cases, no local services at all. I think of a single mother I spoke to recently from Currumbin Waters. Her daughter has been dealing with mental health challenges for some time. When Labor halved the psychology sessions it left her in an impossible situation. She simply cannot afford the extra cost, so her daughter now goes without. That is the reality. While Labor congratulates itself on new announcements, families are left to pick up the pieces. Families do not measure success by how many clinics are promised or how many clinics are opened; they measure it by whether, in a moment of crisis, they can pick up the phone and get help.”
“If the government could not protect something so basic, how could Australians possibly trust them to deliver something bigger? In my electorate of McPherson, the need is undeniable. The census tells us that nearly eight per cent of locals report a long-term mental health condition, and more than one in five live with a mental or behavioural condition. These are not numbers on a page. They're families who are hurting, and they're right to ask: how can Labor talk about strengthening mental health while ripping away the very supports that people relied on? Healthcare access is one of the biggest concerns in McPherson. More than 40 per cent of residents identify it as a pressing issue. That means people are struggling—really struggling—to find consistent and affordable care. In mental health, the gaps are even starker.”
“That is why timely, accessible and compassionate support is not optional; it's essential. Australians want a system that is there when they need it. They want care that's local, that's affordable and that's delivered with dignity. Every government talks about this. Every government promises to strengthen services and bring them closer to home. But too often the reality is very different. People are left waiting, travelling further and struggling to find the help they deserve. That's why it's astonishing—almost insulting—that this Labor government holds up mental health as one of its centrepieces, when the same government that cut Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions in half is the one that's speaking. It is the same government that took away a program that was working for families.”
“I rise today to speak on this very important motion. Mental health is one of the defining challenges of our time. It reaches into every home, every workplace and every community, and it's something the government cannot afford to get wrong. It's the child who can't get the right support at school, the parent who's quietly carrying a heavy burden, the colleague who struggles in silence—we all know someone. Just this year I stood at the funeral of a young man in his 20s who, tragically, took his own life after a long struggle with mental ill health. This heartbreaking story is not unique. It's echoed in towns, suburbs and communities across our nation. Suicide leaves a devastating impact, not only on those we lose but on the families, friends and wider community who must carry the grief.”
“The government, as they do very often, have chosen retreat—cuts, confusion and lost time. The coalition will always choose resolve, and we will work towards a confident and coherent plan to build an emerging and vital industry that serves our economy, our security and, very importantly, our regional communities.”
“We established the Australian Space Agency in 2018, and we released the Australian Civil Space Strategy to grow the sector to a $12 billion sector and create 20,000 jobs by 2030. We backed industry with substantial investment, including the Moon to Mars initiative and the Trailblazer rover, giving Australian firms pathways into NASA missions and global supply chains. We celebrated achievements that inspire the next generation, like Katherine Bennell-Pegg becoming the first person to complete astronaut training under the Australian flag. Katherine completed her training with the support and the funding of the Australian Space Agency. Australia needs a sovereign space capability that is designed, built, launched and operated here at home and backed by sustained investment. This is a choice between retreat and resolve.”
“They weaken us by increasing our reliance on foreign satellites and denying the enormous opportunities that a sovereign space capability would bring—opportunities for high-skill jobs, national resilience in times of crisis and the ability for Australia to shape its own future in space rather than rent it from others. Industry has been blunt. The Space Industry Association warned of defunding without explanation. Across the sector, from satellite manufacturers to launch providers, the message is ultimately the same: uncertainty kills investment. The government says it wants to, 'build things here'. Instead, its actions have taken the sector off the launch pad. By contrast, the coalition has a record of building and of enabling, not smothering, industry.”
“In 2023, within one year of taking office, this Labor government cancelled the coalition's National Space Mission for Earth Observation program—worth over $1.2 billion—abandoning four Australian-built satellites which would have made a significant contribution towards our space capabilities. Further to this, they cut $59.7 million from the technology into orbit program, $18 million from the Moon to Mars global supply chain program and $32.3 million set aside for space ports and launch sites. And, on top of the cuts, the government removed space as an explicit priority from the National Reconstruction Fund. This represents a profound neglect of national priorities—short-termism over strategy.”
“Space touches everything: GPS for farmers and freight, climate and water management for our regions, telecommunications for remote communities, precision timing for our financial system and domain awareness for defence. The global space economy is marching towards the trillion-dollar mark. The jobs it generates are high skill, high wage and exactly the kind we want Australian students training for today. Against that backdrop, Labor's handling of the space industry has lacked both foresight and responsibility, weakening our capacity at the very moment we should be building it.”
“I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Durack and to restate a simple truth: space is no longer a curiosity at the edge of government—it's a vital sovereign capability which the coalition recognises. National defence, emergency management and agriculture are already dependent on space based services. Think of the Black Summer bushfires. Our emergency services and the Bureau of Meteorology depended on rapid satellite feeds to track fire fronts and smoke plumes in near-real time. Yet Australia owns no Earth-observation satellites. For the sixth-largest nation by landmass with responsibility for airspace over a vast portion of the globe, that dependence on others is a vulnerability we can no longer accept.”
“Dexter told me of the freedom and dignity it provides, allowing him to live as normal a life as possible, but he also shared confronting statistics: 867 people in McPherson live with type 1 diabetes; each faces prospect of losing, on average, 22 healthy years of life; 346 will suffer a serious complication such as blindness or heart disease; and the total cost to our community is $19.2 million every year. We must do better. Accessible insulin pumps are not a luxury—they are a lifeline. If we can give every Australian living with type 1 diabetes the chance to live healthier, fuller lives then we must act. I thank Dexter for his courage in sharing his story and I commend him for speaking not just for himself but for every person living with type 1 diabetes.”
“Recently I had the privilege of meeting 12-year-old Dexter Welsh, a remarkable young man from McPherson. When Dexter was just seven he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He shared with me his story—the daily reality of managing his lifelong condition and the difference that an insulin pump has made to his life. Every person who has type 1 diabetes lives with the relentless burden of monitoring blood glucose and administering insulin simply to stay alive. Yet in our community of McPherson only 24 per cent of people have access to insulin pump technology.”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, and I refer to his previous answer about wholesale prices. Is the minister aware of wholesale price reporting released today that showed wholesale prices compared to the same last year rose by 25 per cent in Queensland and 21 per cent in Victoria? Did the minister ignore these figures in his previous answer?”
“Another highlight was the 95th Mudgeeraba Agricultural Show, a reminder of our region's rich diversity and history. First held in 1928, this iconic event has everything from miniature goats to pig racing. It remains a favourite of mine on the Gold Coast calendar. This year I even found myself with a giant snake draped over my shoulders, which, I suppose, is a fair warning to anyone considering public life. We also recently celebrated the Cooly Rocks On, an iconic event where the southern Gold Coast steps back in time with classic cars, vintage fashion, old school rock 'n' roll and, of course, the ultimate Elvis tribute artist competition. It was a pleasure to join locals and visitors alike in celebrating what makes our region so unique.”
“I rise today to share some of the fantastic local events that I've had the pleasure of attending since becoming the member for McPherson. Since my declaration in early June, I've wasted no time in getting to work for the people of the southern Gold Coast. In just nine weeks, I've attended over 110 community engagements, meeting hundreds of locals, small businesses and community groups. Recently, I had the honour of attending the Queensland Police Service Gold Coast District Medals and Awards Presentation, where I congratulated some of our most dedicated officers. Senior Constable Kurt Foessel received a second clasp to the National Medal for 35 years of service, and Senior Constable Helen Redhead was recognised for her leadership on domestic violence initiatives in Mudgeeraba.”
“It is the greatest honour of my life to be elected as the federal member for McPherson and the 1,268th person to be elected to this chamber since Federation. I love this country with every fibre of my being. I love it for what it has given my family, for the values it holds dear and for the promise it still carries in the hearts of the quiet Australians. Australia is not just a place on a map; it's an idea, a spirit and a shared story. Though we face great challenges ahead, I have never been more confident in the capacity of our people. The task before us is not to manage decline but to shape destiny and to invest in a future where effort is rewarded, freedom is protected and opportunity is not the privilege of the few but the inheritance of all. With conviction, gratitude and hope, I stand here ready to do my part. I thank the House.”
“Tradies, professionals, small-business owners and digital nomads who can work anywhere in the world choose McPherson as a base because it offers them a unique lifestyle and an unmatched natural environment to live, work and raise a family. Their belief in themselves and their willingness to stand on their own two feet are the modern representation of the Australian spirit we need to capture. So it is only right that my final thanks go to the people of McPherson, without whom nothing here would be possible and everything here would be pointless, for placing their trust and their hopes in me. I will never take the southern Gold Coast for granted, and each day I will work with determination to ensure your voice is heard in our national parliament.”
“As a distinguished former prime minister once said, 'You win the lottery of life when you're born in Australia.' I'm grateful for having won two lotteries in life: being born to this great nation and being born to my parents. To my mum and to my dad, who are here today: thank you for everything. My story is the Gold Coast story, and the Gold Coast story is the Australian story—people who have made something from nothing. McPherson is a microcosm of what we need to see more of—people who are willing to take risks, back their ingenuity, contribute to their local community and create a life limited only by their own imagination. It's a uniquely entrepreneurial city that was built on small business and innovation.”
“I hope this role will inspire us to perform at our very best, always keeping in mind that our foremost duty is to serve our community and our country in all that we do. As the great president Bartlet asked in The West Wing : Do you have a friend? Are they your best friend? Are they smarter than you? And would you trust them with your life? Because that's your chief counsel. I'm fortunate to have a few chief counsel—Trent Belling, Troy Maloney and Jarrod Lomas—all here today. Trent, for your sharp political mind, sense of humour and for backing me every step of the way; Troy, for your warm friendship and your loyalty; and Jarrod, for being a sounding board that keeps me grounded whether or not I like it: thank you. I wish to make a special acknowledgement of my mentor, the Hon. Dr Brett Mason.”
“I thank the Liberal National Party of Queensland and its members for electing me as their candidate for the seat of McPherson and my campaign committee and my parliamentary colleagues, particularly those who visited me during the campaign. I thank those who contributed to my journey, many of whom join us here today. To my former colleagues, from my early days as a parliamentary attendant and from my time at King & Wood Mallesons and those that I had the privilege of working with in this building, including under the guidance of my now colleague the member for Fisher and former foreign minister the Hon. Julie Bishop: thank you all for your mentorship and friendship. I thank my teachers and lecturers, whose influence has stayed with me beyond the classroom, and my broader family and friends for their love and support. I thank my staff.”