Yesterday, more than 300 people turned out for the Safer Families, Better Communities walk on the Cairns Esplanade. It was a very public statement that Cairns has zero tolerance for domestic and family violence. I commend the tireless efforts of Amanda Lee-Ross, head of the Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service, who is doing fantastic work…
I rise again today to talk about the insurance crisis in northern Australia. Unfortunately, the insurance industry is still not serious about improving the affordability and the availability of property insurance in northern Australia. Submissions to the northern Australia insurance task force from the insurers and the Insurance Council of Australia have been overwhelmingly against…
On 21 September Australia's largest private aged-care provider, Bupa Aged Care, will welcome it first residents into its newest home, Bupa Cairns. With room to care for 144 residents, including 34 dedicated dementia beds, Bupa Cairns will employ more than 150 people when it is at full capacity. Given the focus that has been in…
Tourism is one of the backbones of Australia's economy and there are a handful of experiences which should be on everybody's bucket list: the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef and the Cairns Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Skyrail is truly an iconic cable car experience that transports passengers on a 7.5-kilometre journey that…
Cairns has a long, proud history in ship building. More than 270 vessels have been built in Cairns, including the Fremantle class patrol boat and the hydrographic ships for the Navy—on time and on budget, and they have been in service in our fair city for their entire lives. That is why I am very…
The other side can trivialise a lot of this stuff. Yes, there is a lot of cleaning out the cupboards, if you like, but there is also a lot in the Omnibus Repeal Day (Autumn 2014) Bill 2015 that is going to save money. The opposition would not understand that saving paperwork and bureaucracy is…
I rise today to add my support to the member for Solomon's motion and to commend the Minister for Trade and Investment for his tireless efforts in this area. The Northern Australia Investment Forum will be held in Darwin from 8 to 10 November. It will focus on attracting investors and exposing them to opportunities…
One in six people has a stroke in their lifetime. That means that, in this House of 150 representatives alone, 25 of us could suffer a stroke. It does not discriminate between men and women or young and old. Some strokes are fatal while others cause temporary or permanent disability. From 14 to 21 September…
I thank the member for Lingiari for his contribution. His commitment to Defence Force personnel goes back over a lot of years, including when he had portfolio responsibility for our Defence Force. The Australian government is certainly very committed to supporting Australian Defence Force members throughout their service and into their retirement. This legislation is…
On 7 August I had the privilege of helping to launch a new Cairns-made fashion label called Mainie, which is the work of Charmaine Saunders and Denis Keeffe. The label marries the ancient art of Indigenous women from the Tanami Desert in the Northern Territory with silk from one of China's fabled Silk Road cities,…