Mr PITT: I rise to thank Prime Minister Albanese. The Prime Minister came to my patch a couple of weeks ago to open the Bundaberg Brewed Drinks super brewery.

Mr PITT: The previous speaker, Mr Laxale, had quite the jumble of talking points. We’re here talking about national security and keeping Australians safe, but the focus from those opposite is always on the Leader of the Opposition or the shadow Treasurer. How about you just tell us what it is you intend to do? That is what the Australian people want to know.

Mr Pitt: Coming to the MPI: what we know is there a very few tradespeople on that side. The member for Hunter is here,
and I acknowledge that, as he’s a former fitter and turner, there is at least one on that side of the parliament; I’m not sure about the others. I want to use an analogy. When it comes to the cost of living in this country, the people
of Australia are in the iron vice.

Mr PITT: This month is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and 11-year-old George Rowland from
Hervey Bay wrote to me recently about the fact that it is Dyslexia Awareness Month, which is held right through October.

Mr PITT: The horrific events in Israel might seem far removed from Australia, but they are
a stark reminder that terrorism still exists, and our nation, Australia, must remain vigilant.

Mr PITT: Today I rise to acknowledge the passing of Enio Troiani. Enio passed away unexpectedly on 19 August at the age of 64. He was the beloved husband of Marianne and the dearly loved father and father-in-law of Natalie and Tyson, Pia and Chris, and Gabriella and Andrew.

Mr PITT: Water is always a difficult issue. It’s a fraught issue. It’s a complicated issue. The Murray-Darling Basin has always been that way. No matter where you stand, whether you are at a farm here in Australia—whether you’re in Queensland or South Australia or New South Wales—or in fact anywhere around the world, if you want to really narrow this down, the easiest way to think about it is: when you’re talking to a local farmer, they will think that downstream are wasters and upstream are thieves.

Mr PITT: I want to put out an open invitation to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles: come up to the electorate of Hinkler. Jump in the Uber Air Force One. Bring the Pings, the Titleists and the Callaways.

Mr PITT: I rise to speak on the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023, a bill for which the coalition has been allowed just over a week to prepare to speak on what are significant changes to fair work legislation. There are hundreds of pages, in fact, adding to the already hundreds of pages which employers in this country have to wade through to try and ensure that they are not making any mistakes, any breaches or any errors when it comes to employment in this country. This bill makes things even more complicated. In fact, 15 minutes is nowhere near enough time to cover all of the elements, so I’ll stick to only a few in the time that’s allotted to me.

Mr PITT: Right across the weekend in Hinkler we saw finals everywhere, in particular at the netball. As a former netball dad I know just how many parents are out with their kids. Those kids were out having a great time playing sport, and they had some wonderful results. It’s also an opportunity for clubs to recognise those individuals who have spent decades assisting, volunteering their time and doing what’s necessary to make sure their club functions and runs well and all the things parents and others do to help out their local community.