Address by Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP to the Queensland Legislative Assembly on March 29, 2023.

Ms Camm: I am proud woman representative of the LNP, which has many strong women members of parliament and candidates for election. We will have some incredible women candidates. Those opposite do not like it, because the women on this side of the House are not puppets of the unions. The women on this side of the House achieved their positions on merit. The women on this side of the House are supported by men of the LNP. I will not be lectured to by the women opposite about the position I hold representing my community as a proud conservative LNP woman.

Another proud and talented conservative woman is Natalie Marr. She is coming for the seat of Thuringowa. I am just waiting for the glass jaw to take personal offence. I am sure it will happen more than three times during my speech. Natalie Marr is our candidate endorsed on merit by the LNP because we are not beholden to unions. Grassroots members elect candidates on our side.

Ms King interjected.

Ms Camm: I will ignore the member for Pumicestone's interjections. Natalie Marr is in fact the former regional vice-president of the Liberal National Party. She achieved that position on merit via grassroots voting of the LNP, along with the other incredible vice-president, Amanda Cooper, who has also served this great state of Queensland. In the LNP we acknowledge merit, talent and the grassroots values of our party.

I am not sure which union the member for Thuringowa represents—I have not checked his register of interests—but I know he is not a woman.

Mrs Frecklington interjected.

Ms Camm: I take that interjection from the member for Nanango. I am pretty confident that the member for Thuringowa is not a woman. What I do know is his track record. His track record, as pointed out by the deputy leader, is that he tries to shut down the media in his own town because he is so worried about how things look and about perception. Members should just read the Townsville Bulletin editorial of 2 May 2019 titled, `Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper needs refresher on his job’. It states—

When Mr Harper stood up in Queensland parliament and berated his local paper and peak economic development organisation Townsville Enterprise—

which I think the government are hosting, quite hypocritically—

Mr Mander: Led by a woman.

Ms Camm: I take that interjection. There are a lot of members opposite who should be very concerned about the women of the LNP who might stand at the next election. That is for sure. I refer to the member for Thuringowa’s own Facebook post on 18 September. It shows how serious he was about crime in his community, about reform of the Youth Justice Act and about breach of bail. It states—

The LNP have a track record of telling lies when it comes to `community safety’
I see they are promising to bring back their so called `Breach of Bail’. What a joke!

Who is the joke on now, member for Thuringowa? There has been a lot of talk about donkeys in the last 24 hours, but let’s talk about jokers in this House. By his own admission and his own words, the member for Thuringowa now has to go back and face his community. I respectfully acknowledge the chair for not taking offence. I will not have the Leader of the Opposition, who has been nothing but supportive of LNP women—my colleagues—being taken out of context in regard to some statements in the media because it suits the government's agenda. I want to relate some Facebook quotes regarding the member for Mackay. In relation to the hydro plan someone said `what a joke’. These are direct quotes; this is not my opinion. I can tell members: there is a good woman coming after the seat of Mackay at the next election.