A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
VOTE OF THANKS AT LNP INDUSTRY DINNER
10 October, 2008
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Isn't it comforting to know that in these very difficult times for our Nation, Australia does have a Leader who not only actually understands what is happening but also has some solutions for those problems?
What you have just heard demonstrates that Malcolm Turnbull is a National Leader who understands the complexities and intricacies of the problems confronting the world.
There are three 3 major challenges for Australia – the current global financial crisis, climate change and drought and water. In all three, Malcolm Turnbull has an expertise and understanding which has been demonstrated in the words he has spoken to us tonight.
You all know Malcolm's background in finance and his appreciation of how the world's finances operate. As Minister for Environment he was intimately involved in a sensible approach to climate change when we had a Government which understood, and he is also the first Minister for Water with a real plan for the Murray-Darling Basin System.
Malcolm is a self-made man, not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He epitomises the hard work, the commitment, the ability, the dedication and the drive of a clearly successful Australian. He epitomises liberal philosophy. Not only does he understand water, the drought and its impact on rural Australia but he has actually invested in rural Australia himself.
Ladies and gentlemen it is also comforting to know that we in Queensland at last have a leader who can provide an alternative Premier for the Government of our State.
Lawrence Springborg has demonstrated in recent months a courage and a maturity and the experience and energy that give the people of Queensland a real choice for the next premier.
I want to congratulate Lawrence on the work he has done in giving Queenslanders a real alternative.
Before I ask you to join with me in thanking our two leaders who have given their time to speak to us tonight, I just want to, on behalf of Peter Lindsay, Rosemary Menkens, Andrew Cripps and Vaughan Johnson extend to all of you a very warm welcome to North Queensland and Northern Australia.
Bruce McIver, we are indebted to you and your team in ensuring that this first major formal meeting of the new Liberal National Party of Queensland, the LNP, is held in this energetic northern city of Townsville.
I want to welcome all of you to the North and thank you all for coming.
And for those of us who live in the north, can I assure you that both Lawrence and Malcolm understand the North. Lawrence has been here many a time over the years and has a good appreciation of the worth of the North and Malcolm, in his previous roles appreciates the contribution Northern Australia makes to our Nation. As I often say, and I know our Leaders understand, it is in Northern Australia, which has only about 6% of Australia's population, that we produce more than 30% of our Nation's export earnings and I know both Malcolm and Lawrence will be taking this fact into account as they develop policies to lead our Nation and our State.
So welcome, all of you, I do want to attempt what others didn't do and that is to acknowledge some of my colleagues and I know Peter Lindsay joins me in welcoming our Federal colleagues Paul Neville, Alex Somlyay the Opposition Whip, Peter Slipper and it is great to see here my Senate Colleagues, Brett Mason, Barnaby Joyce, and Helen Kroger, all the way from Victoria – quite frankly I don't know what the Senators are doing here enjoying themselves. They should be working because, as you know, we, in the Senate, do the heavy lifting in the Parliament at the present time, of course, with the work load we have in trying to keep the current Government on the right track - it is a wonder the Senators have time to attend functions like this, important though they are.
It is also great to see so many State Parliamentarians here and I mentioned the better looking ones, Rosemary Menkens, Jann Stuckey, Fiona Simpson and then I see a bunch of other State Parliamentarians who I don't want to name as it was their leading me astray last Wednesday night in the Queensland Parliamentary Dining Room that has caused me a particular lot of difficulties so I am not sure that I want to acknowledge them but, in any case fellows, it is good to see you all here.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I would ask you to join with me in congratulating our Leaders who have spoken to us tonight and thank them for their words of wisdom and wish Malcolm and Lawrence all the very best in their next jobs as Prime Minister and Premier of this Nation and State respectively. Thank you Malcolm and Lawrence.