Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien – Royal Commission into Veteran Suicides – House of Representatives, 22 March 2021

Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien – Tiaro Bypass speech – Federation Chamber, 22 March 2021

Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien – Gympie headspace speech – House of Representatives, 03 February 2021

Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien National headspace Day speech – House of Representatives, 21 October 2020

Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien is continuing to push for the Tiaro bypass to be constructed to the safest possible standard.

Today I say thank you to Flight Path Forum, which prepared an excellent research paper and research material into the proposed flight path of the Sunshine Coast Airport.

You can’t put a price on human lives, but that’s exactly what the state and federal government will be doing if they impose their low-cost proposal for a two-lane bypass of Tiaro in Wide Bay on the Bruce Highway.

Coles and Woolworths have completely bastardised the proposal put forward by Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation to introduce a 10c per litre levy on all milk to help drought affected dairy farmers. When these supermarket giants, which have a $62.2 billion share of a $90 billion Australian grocery market, initially agreed to the 10c per litre drought levy, I said it was a welcome first step. But instead they have quarantined the levy, applying it only to some of their privately labelled milk, taking consumers away from branded milk.

I said in my maiden speech that when it comes to agriculture, big business needs to play fair and farmers deserve to receive a fair price for their product. I also said I was concerned about the devastating impact the ongoing Coles and Woolworths milk price war is having on the dairy industry.

Good morning. I would also like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land — the Ngunnawal people — and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

I also extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may be present here today.

Thank you Nola Marino for your kind words — it’s great to be here to represent my colleague, the Minister for Rural Health, Bridget McKenzie.

Bridget was unfortunately unable to make it here today, but I know how passionate she is about palliative care — particularly for people living in rural and regional communities across Australia.