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.

14/02/2018

Speech – Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial – Federation Chamber

A landmark of international significance is now emerging in Queen’s Park, Maryborough in the electorate of Wide Bay, a $3.2 million Gallipoli to Armistice memorial funded by the federal and Queensland governments and the Fraser Coast Regional Council. It will tell the story of Maryborough’s Duncan Chapman, the first man ashore at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, as well as other soldiers from the Maryborough district.

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14/02/2018

Speech – Stronger Communities Funding – Federation Chamber

It takes something special to make me dance in public, yet that’s what I found myself doing recently when I visited Sunshine Butterflies disability support service at Cooroibah to announce more than $16,000 through the Stronger Communities Program. Organisations like Sunshine Butterflies are so important and valuable to their clients, families, volunteers, staff and the broader community.

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