Cooktown Re-enactment Festival

**Watch this speech on YouTube** Madam Deputy Speaker, let me take you back to 1770 when Cook's crew first set foot upon the rugged and exotic shores of Australia. We all know the story of Captain Cook landing in Botany Bay, but less well known is what happened after he left and sailed north. In a mariner's…

90 second statement – SilkAir lands in Cairns

**Watch this speech on YouTube** Last weekend a silk road started operating between Cairns, Australia's Gateway to the Reef, and the lion city of Asia. SilkAir is the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, and their Boeing 737-800 touched-down in Cairns just after 10 o'clock on Saturday morning. It was the first of a three-times-a-week service between…

Adjournment – Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

**Watch this speech on YouTube** I rise this evening to take the opportunity to highlight that next month is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. This annual initiative, running through the month of June, aims to raise public awareness of a disease that claims the lives of 77 Australians every week.  Bowel cancer is the second most common type…

90 second statement – Cairns Hockey Association

**Watch the speech on YouTube** On 23 May Cairns Hockey Association celebrated the installation and opening of their new $400,000 artificial turf. The celebration included a march past by junior players and welcome to country ceremony.  I officially cut the ribbon. The cutting of the ribbon involved my beautiful eight year old daughter, Mackenzie Lee…

Australia 2040 forum

I'm pleased to be here today representing The Hon Andrew Robb, Minister for Trade and Investment. Unfortunately Minister Robb is currently in Singapore for meetings with Singaporean government counterparts and senior investors. First, I'd like to offer my congratulations on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Cooperative Research Centre's program. I'd like…

Wildlife rescuers urged to keep up the good work

LOCAL wildlife carers have nothing to fear from the Government’s inquiry into the tax-deductible status of environmental groups, says Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch. More than 600 environmental groups are currently deductible gift recipients (DGR), which allows them to access tax-deductible donations to fund important, practical work to improve the natural environment. “I’ve checked with the…

Relief for renewables as RET compromise reached

FEDERAL MP Warren Entsch has welcomed the bipartisan deal on the Renewable Energy Target, saying it will provide certainty for the renewables sector and kick-start much-needed investment. After months of negotiations, the Coalition and Labor have agreed to lower the RET from 41,000 gigawatt hours to 33,000, to fully exempt trade-exposed industries from the target…