CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr HAMILTON (Groom) (10:35): Every parent wants better for their kids. That's why we turn up to work. That's why we save.

That's why we drive them to piano lessons, take them to sports and put effort into their lives—because we want better for them. One of the great things about Toowoomba, while we have great schools, great hospitals and people coming to our region, is the opportunity that's provided in a region like mine. But the more I talk to my constituents, particularly in these times, I find that parents are losing that optimism.

Having watched the changes that are taking place in the world around us, I can't blame them. When we turn on the news, we hear of geopolitical changes, with the world moving from rules based order back to spheres of influence. We see populist instability right across the world and the challenges to stable government that it presents.

I talk to young kids about the impact of social media and what they see on a regular basis, what my kids see on a regular basis, and how that impacts them. We hear the challenges of social cohesion right here in Australia, let alone what's happening around the world. These are things that we never thought we'd see, with Australians pitching themselves against Australians.

I think that drags down that sense of optimism that we've all carried—that sense of optimism that's the reason we do the hard work. That future somehow looks a little bit less bright. There was a time in this place when politics was a bit more left-right.

I don't blame that, because the thrust of the conversation was good jobs and good pay and finding the balance between those who wanted to invest and those who wanted to invest their labour, and then, between that, finding that balance to say, 'I want you to have your job; I want to protect your job, but I want to make sure that business is thriving so that your jobs are encouraged and our nation can grow and prosper.' That's a good conversation to be having today.

Today we find ourselves questioning the very value of our institutions. I can't believe we're doing this. We're questioning the value of consensus between parties.

We're seeing a 'my way or the highway' approach to politics. We're questioning political gradualism versus urges for revolution in the political sphere. I think these are terribly challenging things when we consider that.

But part of the solution to dealing with these issues about making the future brighter is positioning our policy around our kids' future and reminding ourselves of the hard work that not only parents must do but governments must do to prepare that better future. The appeal of chaos diminishes the longer into the future it has to be in place. I think that's part of the political debate that we have to have here.

That left-right debate is a good debate when it speaks to stability, when it speaks to balance and when it speaks to finding the best way for Australians to have good jobs and good pay. For our communities to be protected and for their jobs to be protected, I think this is the conversation we should be having.