21 January 2008

Anyone with the slightest interest in marketing or advertising must be shaking their head at the current Liberal-National amalgamation scenarios being tossed about by some Nationals.

There is some talk of a new party with a new name. Yet, thanks to the great record of the Howard-Costello Government, “Liberal” is still one of the strongest political brands around and one I’m very proud to “wear”.

Suggestions that the two parties could form a “United Conservative Party” in Queensland, and in Queensland only, seem bizarre.

As Sir Robert Menzies explained in his memoirs, "Afternoon Light",

"We took the name Liberal because we were determined to be a progressive party, willing to make experiments, in no sense reactionary but believing in the individual, his rights and his enterprise."

While I respect our Coalition partners in the National Party, it's important to recognise that we serve different constituencies and have philosophical differences that often impact on day-to-day policy. At that point the parties negotiate to produce an acceptable outcome, which is how a coalition works.

POSTSCRIPT: Congratulations to Lawrence Springborg and Fiona Simpson who were elected parliamentary Leader and Deputy Leader of the Queensland Nationals this afternoon.

AUSTRALIA DAY

The Rotary Breakfast Barbecue at Dalby,the inflatable thong challenge at Noosa, cockroach races at the Story Bridge Hotel in Brisbane and the Kilcoy Gift races ...

There's a great diversity and a bit of irreverence in many of the "special" events planned for Australia Day but it's wonderful to see so many communities treating Australia Day as more than just a public holiday.

In fact, research published last weekend shows that 34% of people celebrate Australia Day. Instead of just another long weekend, it has become a day to express our pride and to show our commitment to providing a positive future for Australia.

Australia Day is the most popular day for new Australians to formally join our community as new citizens and citizenship ceremonies celebrating that choice will be held throughout Australia.

I find officiating at citizenship ceremonies one of the most satisfying and reaffirming aspects of my role as a Queensland senator. I'll be attending two of these ceremonies and be delighted to welcome another 120 new Australians.

To find more about Australia Day in your area, go to http://www.australiaday.gov.au/pages/index.asp

EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS FOR ABUSED

The State Government has announced, somewhat belatedly, the availability of ex-gratia payments for people who were abused as children in Queensland institutions.

This was one of the recommendations of the 1999 Forde Inquiry into the treatment of children in licensed government and non-government institutions in Queensland. The Inquiry found that there was widespread abuse and that many children had suffered long-term effects from their ill-treatment.

The "Redress Scheme" provides an opportunity for those who do not wish to pursue legal action to resolve compensation now. This will close on June 30 this year. Further details are available on the website at http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/community/redress-scheme/ .

CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP

Applications for Churchill Fellowships will close on February 29. The Churchill Trust was established in 1965, the year Sir Winston Churchill died.

Churchill Fellowships offer financial support to enable Australian citizens to undertake overseas analysis or investigation of a project or issue that cannot be done in Australia. Currently the average Fellowship cost is $25,000.

Australian citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to apply - for details go to http://www.churchilltrust.com.au/

2008 - THE YEAR OF THE SCOUT

2008 celebrates the Centenary of Australian Scouting, and has been declared "The Year of the Scout" by the Australian Government. Scouts Australia is the largest youth Movement in Australia with about 60,000 members, and more than 28 million Scouts worldwide.

A team of eight Venturer Scouts and two Guides recently made history by winning the overall team gold medal in the 13th International Space Olympics in Russia. Teams were examined on mathematics, physics and computer science and a space-related project. It's the first time that a Russian team has not won this prestigious event.

To find out more, go to the website at http://www.scouts.com.au/

2010 will mark the centenary of Guiding in Australia.

"FAIR DISMISSALS"

We're still receiving many stories about how businesses have been caught up in the anti-jobs and anti-growth policies of the old Labor unfair dismissal regime.

My current favourite: A case brought against a manufacturing company by a man who had never worked for them. The man was employed by a work hire company and worked on the manufacturing company's site, on and off over four months, until the hire company was asked not to send him any more. The claim was ultimately dismissed, but it cost the manufacturing company about $2,000 in legal fees, preparation time, etc.

Please continue to send your unfair dismissal stories to yourstories@sueboyce.com.au so I can highlight the craziness of the changes being proposed by Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

Sue Boyce
Liberal Senator for Queensland