Black Spot Program

Mr HAMILTON (Groom) (13:11): I’m very happy to rise in support of this motion, and it’s a very timely one. It wasn’t that long ago I was up at Highfields, in the north of my electorate, opening Road Safety Week. It’s a great opportunity to stand beside not just the police but all the emergency…

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS: Antonio, Mr Paul

Mr HAMILTON (Groom) (13:30): I’d like to take the opportunity to put on record my gratitude to and respect for the recently retired mayor of the Toowoomba regional council, Mr Paul Antonio. There’s a special place in Australian politics for a regional mayor, a mayor of places that have a sense of identity that you…

GROOM ELECTORATE: ILAUNCH PROGRAM, TOOWOOMBA

I’m very sad that I can’t attend the opening of the iLAuNCH program in Toowoomba; parliamentary duties call me away. However, this is one of the most important programs, one of the most important steps forward, in Toowoomba’s long history. I think it will even come to surpass inland rail and Wellcamp Airport itself: $180…

Queensland: Crime

Mr HAMILTON (Groom) (13:54): Another week, another terrible crime on Toowoomba’s streets. In today’s Chronicle we have reports of four men forcibly entering a house, stealing a car, going to another house, committing an assault, stealing another car and then, as has become all too common, leading police on a dangerous chase through our streets.…

PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS SCHEME

Mr HAMILTON (Groom) (16:56): I think the previous speaker, the member for Gilmore, laid out much of why this has become such a contentious issue. We hear the concerns raised by local pharmacists described as a ‘vicious scare campaign’. There are two sides of that: dismissing these concerns out of hand as a vicious scare…

Consideration in Detail – Treasury

Mr HAMILTON (Groom) (11:47): The opening question, of course, is: where is the Treasurer? It’s a fair question. The previous minister, I’ll acknowledge, is the first Labor minister to sit the whole way through on this. I’ve sat in on a number of these consideration in detail processes. It’s become the norm for Labor not…

Statements By Members: Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

I rise to speak on the impact of Labor’s changes to 60-day dispensing. It’s important that this government take every step it can to help Australians suffering through the current cost-of-living crisis, particularly those who are most vulnerable to economic hardship. However, it is the consequences of this policy, rather than the intentions, that matter.…

ADJOURNMENT – Groom Electorate: Crime

I rise today to give my thanks, appreciation and gratitude for our local police service. Unfortunately, I’ve had cause recently to speak of crime in the Toowoomba area, and a very alarming incident that took place yesterday in our region brings me to that subject again. We saw yesterday an incident involving an alleged stolen…

MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE – Cost Of Living

I’ll give you some real action. Let’s get that on the table. That’s a bit of fun. Let’s do that. Let’s have real action. The lowest unemployment in 50 years—we delivered that real action. We did that. The lowest welfare dependency in 30 years—we did that too. Small businesses—you opposite talk about middle Australia, and…