{"id":158189,"date":"2016-09-16T02:28:01","date_gmt":"2016-09-15T16:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=158189"},"modified":"2020-10-05T13:13:34","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T03:13:34","slug":"proud-mps-debut-in-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2016\/09\/16\/proud-mps-debut-in-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Proud MPs Debut In House"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien addresses the House during his maiden speech, watched by the South Burnett’s other Federal MPs, the Member for Maranoa David Littleproud, bottom \u00a0row, at left; and the Member for Flynn Ken O’Dowd, top row, at right (Photo: ParlTV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 16, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

Newly elected South Burnett MPs Llew O’Brien (Wide Bay) and David Littleproud (Maranoa) spoke of family, pride in the region and the honour of being elected in their maiden speeches to Federal Parliament this week.<\/p>\n

In an emotional personal speech, former police officer Mr O’Brien spoke about his mother’s death when he was a teenager, and his early struggles to find a job and to put food on the table.<\/p>\n

Mr O’Brien also touched on some of the key issues in his electorate: roads, aged care, unemployment and a $20 million package aimed at stimulating jobs in the Wide Bay Burnett.<\/p>\n

He also urged big business, especially Woolworths and Coles, to “play fair” when dealing with primary producers.<\/p>\n

And there was some free publicity for local events, including the Kilkivan Great Horse Ride, the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival, and the Murgon to Cherbourg Reconciliation Fun Run.<\/p>\n

Mr O’Brien also emphasised the need to remove the stigma around mental illness so more people would seek help.<\/p>\n

He spoke bravely about his diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, possibly linked to some of the sights, sounds and smells he had experienced as a police officer.<\/p>\n

He thanked his “political mentor”, former Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss, who watched the speech from the public galley, and his “adopted dad”, retired Police Assistant Commissioner Laurie Pointing.<\/p>\n