‘The physical scars are there for all to see’: floods the focus of Penfold’s maiden speech

THE ongoing challenges of the May floods were the focus of Alison Penfold’s maiden speech to Federal Parliament on Wednesday 30 July.

Ms Penfold was elected the new Nationals MP for Lyne on 3 May.

The poll was yet to be officially declared when record flooding hit parts of the electorate, claiming lives and livestock, homes and businesses, and leaving a mountain of red tape to navigate to fund the clean-up and ongoing recovery.

“We needed governments and bureaucracy at their best,” she told the House of Representatives.

“We are still waiting, still hoping, still fighting.”

Ms Penfold praised the resilience of her constituents between Rollands Plains and Lake Innes in the north, Hawks Nest in the south and Barrington Tops in the west, but also stressed that many people are suffering.

“The physical scars are there for all to see.

“What is less visible are the mental scars.

“Most people have tried to pick up the pieces of their lives, [they] got on with the clean-up; got on with the rebuild; got on with filling out the vast reams of paperwork for a few quid.

“But underneath is the loss, the shock and the question of ‘Can I ever go home?’.”

Ms Penfold noted that while Category D funding was eventually granted to primary producers, the same support has not been extended to small businesses.

A Wauchope local who was raised in the Manning Valley, Ms Penfold is only the second woman from the NSW Nationals elected to the Federal Lower House.

She also used her first address to outline her vision for collaborative governance and the role she intends to play.

“My job in this Parliament will be to work constructively with the Government so that together we can solve problems and provide the resources, services and infrastructure my communities need to improve living standards; to live with dignity; to grow; to be rich in spirit and diverse in activities.”

She called for urgent investment in local healthcare, including an Urgent Care Clinic in Taree.

This was an election commitment yet to be matched by Labor, despite similar clinics being announced elsewhere.

“In good faith, under the umbrella of the Prime Minister’s commitment to govern for all, I ask for the Government’s goodwill to work with me to deliver one in Taree and help improve the health outcomes of the people of the Manning Valley.”

In addition to local concerns, Ms Penfold addressed a broad range of national and regional challenges, including energy production, climate policy, national defence, immigration, and the broader direction of the country.

“At a time of such regional and global geopolitical instability, Australia can ill afford to lose its way.

“We must change course. We must step up. This place must lead.”

She paid tribute to her predecessor Dr David Gillespie, who retired after 12 years as the Member for Lyne, while acknowledging the significance of her role.

“Today I stand before you and this Parliament as just an ordinary woman trying to do an extraordinary job with an extraordinary privilege, for my community and for our nation.”

By Sue STEPHENSON