MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (13:23): I have been working with the community north of the Daintree River since I was elected in 1996 in an effort to bring them into the 20th and now 21st century. This is a very vibrant community of around 500 to 600 people. Interestingly, some years ago the state government legislated to…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (11:34): The $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility is a game changer for northern Australia. The NAIF is partnering with the private sector and governments of northern jurisdictions to provide concessional loans to encourage and complement private sector investment in infrastructure that benefits northern Australia. I have to concede there have been some…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (13:31): YWAM Medical Ships Australia do an incredible job providing medical services in highly challenging, remote areas of Papua New Guinea. My beautiful wife, Yolonde, is the first Cairns community ambassador for YWAM. Her role is to raise awareness, recruit volunteers and help strengthen sister-city relationships. Last year Yolonde volunteered on board the…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (11:32): There’s no doubt about it; the Great Barrier Reef is the greatest living natural wonder on our planet, and I’m fortunate enough to represent a very large portion of that natural wonder, a very significant amount of which the previous speaker was talking about in relation to the impacts of bleaching. Rather…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (13:59): At the weekend I attended a memorial service and the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the tragic death of 11 servicemen during the Second World War. The loved ones of those 11 travelled from California, New Zealand, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to be at the unveiling. They were joined by more…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (13:50): It gives me great pleasure to rise today to pay tribute to the fantastic businesswomen in my community. On Friday I attended the Cairns Business Women’s Club business woman of the year awards. These awards are now in their 31st year and truly showcase the amazing and inspirational women we have in…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (13:46): I rise today to pay tribute to a brave young lad living in my electorate. Flynn Rigby and his twin brother, Jack, arrived in this world 16-weeks premature. Flynn weighed 720 grams and Jack was only 630 grams. Sadly, Jack didn’t make it. He passed away after only 10 days. But…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (19:55): I rise today to bring to the attention of the House a very special anniversary happening in a town in my electorate, Cooktown, in 2020. On 17 June 1770, His Majesty’s bark the Endeavour, captained by Lieutenant James Cook, found refuge at the mouth of the Waalumbaal Birri, now known as the Endeavour…
MR ENTSCH: (Leichhardt) (10:45): The right to housing is an absolutely fundamental right of all Australian citizens. Sadly, the Queensland Labor government, in a campaign led by Jackie Trad, is more interested in playing politics than putting roofs over people’s heads. This year marks the end of the 10-year Remote Housing Strategy. The Commonwealth provided $5.4…
MR ENTSCH: TB is a disease that most people thought was in the past or isolated to small pockets of some impoverished countries. It is one of the oldest human diseases and has been identified in Egyptian mummies. My mother was inflicted with TB in the early 1960s and spent a year in the Cairns Base…