Tonight I would like to speak about the enormous opportunities that would exist for our nation if we were to develop the water resources of the Fitzroy Basin. Enormous opportunities exist in the Fitzroy Basin in Central Queensland. Read more

Today I would like to speak about the continuing severe drought in many parts of Queensland, particularly Western Queensland. Read more

From time to time I get a little bit confused about the Labor Party's position on this issue. Read more

I have been in this chamber for most of the debate and I noticed Senator Lines' contribution. She is up for a conversation on tax reform. I welcome that position.  Read more

I welcome this opportunity to speak about the very important issue of horizontal fiscal equalisation in this country and the distribution of the GST.  Read more

A couple of weeks ago, the leader of the Greens, Senator Di Natale, gave a nationally televised address to the Press Club. Read more

The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement concluded in Atlanta this past week is an historic deal. It is the first major multilateral trade deal to be concluded in more than 20 years.  Read more

I would like to focus on some figures too. The figure I would like to focus on is the price of beef in this country—the price of live weighed cattle—which fell to nearly 200c a kilo in 2013 directly as a consequence of the decisions of the Greens-Labor government, which shut down the live cattle trade and caused pain not just for live cattle producers in northern Australia but for the cattle industry across the country.  Read more

I am very proud to be part of a coalition that takes a balanced view on all of these issues—on issues of water and the environment. Read more

It is a shame that the Greens continue to establish an approach which is often close-minded and inflexible. They usually speak in very strong ideologies, without the acceptance or consideration of new ideas or different viewpoints in this chamber.  Read more