Tobacco Regulation

Mr ENTSCH: I rise to speak on this motion about illicit tobacco, which is certainly a matter of significant concern not only in my electorate but across our nation. The burgeoning illicit tobacco trade is an issue that affects public health, economic stability and law and order in our country. We’re all aware of the…

Australia Day Awards

Mr ENTSCH: I would like to take the opportunity to recognise and celebrate this year’s Australia Day Award recipients from around Leichhardt. Starting with Cairns, Jacqui Backhouse has been awarded the Citizen of the Year, and Yazmin Rivette has been awarded the Young Citizen of the Year. Carol Wells has received Volunteer of the Year,…

Project Recognise

Mr ENTSCH: In the wake of Cyclone Jasper and associated floods, the true spirit of the Far North Queensland community has shone brightly. In conjunction with Sergeant Dave Raymond, Project Recognise has been created to honour and pay tribute to the many unsung heroes and volunteers for many acts of selflessness and generosity that have…

Cuba Trade Embargo

Mr ENTSCH: I second the motion and rise to speak on this motion which is of profound significance not only for the people of Cuba but for the very principles of international cooperation and mutual respect amongst nations. Firstly, I’d like to thank the member for Newcastle for putting up this important motion and commend…

Jute Theatre Company

Mr ENTSCH: Today I rise to extend a very big congratulations to the JUTE Theatre Company, a beacon of artistic brilliance in our community now celebrating its 32nd year of operation. JUTE has just recently been awarded a four-year funding agreement through Creative Australia. This significant achievement not only marks a new chapter in JUTE’s…

Cyclone Jasper

Mr ENTSCH: I rise today to acknowledge the recent aftermath of Cyclone Jasper, a natural disaster that struck with ferocity unmatched in recent memory. This unprecedented event was tracked from its inception as a tropical low system, commanding headlines and drawing national media attention to our shores. Journalists were speculating on outcomes, painting pictures of…

World Polio Day

Mr ENTSCH: Last month on 24 October was World Polio Day. I’d like to acknowledge the remarkable progress in the fight against polio led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. In nearly four decades, we’ve seen a 99.9 per cent reduction in polio, saving millions from paralysis and eradicating two polio virus strains. Yet challenges…

Private Members’ Business – Great Barrier Reef

Mr ENTSCH: I rise today to speak on this motion. While I stand here amidst a chorus of self-congratulations by those opposite, I must lend a voice to reason and reality. The government has presented a litany of supposed achievements concerning the Great Barrier Reef, yet it seems that their memory is conveniently very, very…

Youth Voice in Parliament Week

Mr ENTSCH: I would like to reach a speech written by a 17-year-old, Darcy Oates, a student from St Augustine’s College in Cairns, as part of the Raise Your Voice campaign. Darcy writes: “The vastness of Australia is ingrained within the fabric of our national identity, romanticised in prose and heralded as the true epitome…

First Nations Australians

Mr ENTSCH: For too long, a select few have laid claim to funding to support Indigenous communities but have not made good on their commitments. The most egregious example is Noel Pearson. He presides over a growing list of dysfunctional entities who have done little but line the pockets of a select few at the…