Mr SLIPPER(4.44) —Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I was happy to defer to the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Peacock) earlier and I very much appreciated his contribution to this debate. I rise to speak in this chamber very conscious of the honour bestowed upon me by the electors of Fisher. The electorate is situated in the south-east corner of Queensland, the great State of the north. I am aware that I represent all people in my electorate, regardless of whether to date they have favoured me with their support.

I feel a sense of humility and am conscious of the great traditions of this place and of the Westminster system of government. I am proud to see our Australian national flag so prominent in this chamber and the Royal Arms above Mr Speaker's chair. Our flag is symbolic of Australia-its Christianity, its origins, its form of government and its position in the world in the southern hemisphere. Our flag must be preserved at all costs for future generations. It is indeed to be sincerely regretted that some honourable members opposite do not value our great heritage.

I am pleased to support the motion so ably moved and seconded by the honourable members for Cowan (Ms Jakobsen) and St George (Mr Dubois). I wholeheartedly congratulate them on their efforts and I wish them a fulfilling, although not necessarily lengthy, stay in this place.

It is interesting to note that we who are newly arrived in this chamber are berating our peers with what are officially termed 'maiden speeches'. I am pleased, but surprised, that the term 'maiden' has not been outlawed as sexist by those who worry about such trivialities. I hope that I will resist the temptation to be unduly provocative and I must say that I appreciate the traditional courtesy extended to me. I am informed that in the mother of parliaments in London courtesy and reasonable co-operation are regular occurrences whereas by comparison, this House has always engaged in constant guerrilla warfare. Perhaps this is the Australian way, but I would be sad if it were. Unfortunately, these situations have a habit of enduring.

I would also like you, Mr Deputy Speaker, to pass on my best wishes to Mr Speaker and also to Madam Deputy Speaker on their respective elections. The non-partisan welcome and help given to me by both of them were truly appreciated. I might add that the very attractive garment in a becoming shade of National Party green worn the other day by Madam Deputy Speaker is no doubt tangible evidence of this very warm welcome.

I have long held an interest in politics and government and, like the honourable member for Dobell (Mr Lee), have been a member of a party for many years. As with him, my interest in politics was nurtured by the dark days of the Whitlam years, although obviously in another direction. I am no stranger to elections and in fact, in 1975 was campaign director in Oxley. If it were not for the misguided decision of a relatively small number of voters, who knows what shape our foreign policy would now take?

Fisher is an urban and rural electorate stretching north of Brisbane and inland to the Great Dividing Range. The major centres and districts comprise Strathpine, Lawnton, Petrie, Kallangur and Dayboro in the Pine Rivers Shire, Caboolture, Bribie Island, the Beerwah-Glasshouse Mountains area, and parts of the Sunshine Coast hinterland including Maleny, Montville, Mapleton and Kenilworth. From there we head inland to Woodford, Kilcoy, Toogoolawah, Blackbutt, Yarraman, Cooyar and Crow's Nest. It is a truly wonderful division, I am sure honourable members will agree.

I am fortunate to have as my parliamentary neighbours the honourable members for Fairfax (Mr Adermann) in the east, Wide Bay (Mr Millar) in the north, Maranoa (Mr Ian Cameron) in the west and Groom (Mr McVeigh), Oxley (Mr Hayden), Petrie (Mr Hodges) and Ryan (Mr Moore) in the south. Together, we are members of all parties represented in this place and our co-operation on matters of common interest should ensure success. Within Fisher are some of the fastest growing residential areas in our country and I refer, of course, to the Pine Rivers and Caboolture shires. The Queensland National Party Government has done much to assist this development and I would like to congratulate the State Minister for Transport, Mr Don Lane, on the anticipated completion next year of the suburban electric railway as far as Caboolture. Many of my constituents work in the city and it is important to have a fast, efficient and reasonably priced urban transport system.

I also make a plea to the Commonwealth to recognise the special problems that growth areas and their local authorities face. Continuing financial assistance must be given and I will be doing everything in my power to achieve this. The relevant Minister should certainly take note that I will be regularly beating a path to his door.

Unemployment is a major problem among young people in the urban areas of Fisher, and unfortunately the Government's temporary job creation projects do not really address the need to provide long term, permanent, productive employment. It is utterly soul destroying for our young people to leave school with almost no hope of ever finding a job. It is a proven fact that those with time on their hands can be tempted into crime or be easy prey for those sick individuals who exploit young folk and supply them with drugs.

Mr Katter —Monsters.

Mr SLIPPER —Yes, absolute monsters. What is needed is assistance for small business to help create an economic climate in which small business can afford to employ more people. It is worse than useless for this Government to fiddle the jobless figures by adding people to the public payroll. Under this Government, public sector employment is one of the few growth industries. Small business throughout Fisher is big business and a major employer. It is utterly wrong for any government to consider business to be an enemy to be crushed at all costs. A healthy private sector means a healthy economy.

I turn now to the country areas. One of my concerns is that our nation's greatest hopes for the future earning of export income are not receiving attention and support.

Mr Katter —Not by the Labor Government.

Mr SLIPPER —Certainly not by the Labor Government. I refer, of course, to the perpetually renewable resources of rural industries, many of which are situated in Fisher. The Government must consider the adverse effect that recent policy changes have had on these industries, for they have been, are now, and always will be the foundation of our country.

I am pleased that the honourable member for Makin (Mr Duncan) mentioned that many members on this side of the House have the good fortune to represent very beautiful divisions, and Fisher is no exception. It is blessed with an excellent climate, rich soil and an ability to produce a vast number of rural products of excellent quality. We grow almost everything which goes into a fruit salad-from pineapples, bananas, pawpaws, citrus fruits and strawberries, through to more exotic varieties such as kiwi fruit and passion-fruit. I am sure that my constituency would welcome your patronage, Mr Deputy Speaker, and the patronage of honourable members.

Other major industries include dairying, poultry and egg farming, beef cattle, grain and lucerne, as well as tobacco, ginger and vegetable growing. All these industries have their unique problems and display great initiative. For example, the Caboolture Butter Factory in my electorate is meeting the challenge of over-production by marketing a large number of new and original products in an aggressive free enterprise manner.

Tourism is also a major industry, on Bribie as well as in nearby coastal towns and the Sunshine Coast hinterland. There are a vast number and variety of original attractions and beaches. Large numbers of refugees from southern States and left-wing governments are, to quote our excellent Premier Joh, 'voting with their feet' by selecting my electorate as a place to holiday or settle. As you can imagine, Mr Deputy Speaker, I welcome them all.

I am indeed fortunate to sit with this fine body of people comprising the National Party of Australia. I am particularly honoured that so many of them have seen fit to be present in this chamber to hear my maiden speech. I am pleased and honoured to serve with the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Peacock) and the Leader of the National Party (Mr Sinclair), for as surely as night follows day-or should I say 'Hawke follows Whitlam'-in less than three years they will hold the nation's two highest elective offices. Mr Deputy Speaker, I am sure you will join me in congratulating them in anticipation.

I am also pleased to see Senator Boswell and Senator Sheil present in the senators' gallery for my maiden speech. I wish to record publicly my thanks to Senator Lady Bjelke-Petersen, known as Senator Flo throughout the length and breadth of Queensland and Australia, for her extensive assistance in the election campaign. I am certain that this lady does not have an enemy in the world and I know that she is highly regarded by everyone who meets her.

I would be remiss if I did not record appreciation to my parents and family, to my campaign director, Bruce Page, from Peachester, and his wife, Helen, and my entire campaign committee for their obviously fruitful efforts on my behalf. I am also indebted to Mrs Yvonne Chapman and Mr Bill Newton, the very effective and hard-working National Party State members for Pine Rivers and Caboolture who also played key roles. In addition, my thanks go to other State members whose electorates are partly included in Fisher-Deputy Premier Bill Gunn, Minister for Industry, Small Business and Technology, Mike Ahern, Gordon Simpson, Tony Elliott and Tony Fitzgerald. I also see Miss Cathie Gregor, State Secretary of the Queensland Young Nationals, in the Speaker's Gallery. The Young Nationals are, of course, a very fine organisation which I have served as State President. As a former State President of the Young Nationals, I know that it is a very fine organisation.

The Federal division of Fisher was created by the redistribution prior to the 1949 election, which saw Sir Robert Menzies returned as Prime Minister. Undoubtedly, with the obvious exceptions of Prime Ministers McEwen, Fadden and Page-I hope that my Leader has noticed what I said-Menzies was our greatest Prime Minister ever, and he remained firmly at the helm of Australia for a record term. Fisher has seen its size, shape and composition altered from time to time at the whim of various redistribution committees. Since its creation, it has been represented by only three members.

A great Queenslander and Australian, the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Frederick Adermann, father of my predecessor, served in this House, initially as the member for Maranoa and then as the inaugural representative of my present seat. He was elected to this Parliament on no fewer than 11 occasions and in 1955 his constituents thought him so worthy of continued support that he was unopposed. It may be too much to hope that my constituents may be similarly impressed in the future.

Sir Charles's contribution to the nation has been immense and equalled by few others. He served as Deputy Speaker, Acting Speaker, Minister for Primary Industry and Deputy Leader of the National Party under its former name. He was an excellent Minister for Primary Industry, for he understood his subject fully. Many honourable members, particularly those opposite, would not be aware of the tremendous debt which Queensland and Australia owe to Sir Charles Adermann. He fanned the political aspirations of Queensland's long-serving Premier, encouraging him to seek Party endorsement for the former State electorate of Nanango. If it were not for the efforts of Sir Charles Adermann, Queensland today would not be privileged to have Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen as its leader. Indeed, the whole of Australia is no doubt grateful that Sir Joh is there to keep any socialist government in line.

The second member for Fisher, Mr Evan Adermann, is still serving in this House, very effectively I might add, as the honourable member for Fairfax. Evan is a modest, sincere and dedicated person of excellent character and he possesses Christian principles. He has served the nation as a Minister of the Crown for almost five years and is a reservoir of common sense, decency and parliamentary knowledge. I could continue extolling the honourable member's virtues; however, I will desist lest it should sound like an obituary. I am pleased to be on his left in this chamber-in a geographic sense, I hasten to add-and thank him for his help and guidance. I would also like to thank my good friend the honourable member for Maranoa for his excellent representation of those areas I inherited from him in a political sense in the last redistribution.

I am told that a maiden speech gives one an opportunity-and I understand that such opportunities are very rare-to expound one's personal philosophy a little. Being a member of the National Party, I believe in the maximum possible freedom of the individual from bureaucratic and governmental interference. There must be, of course, respect for the Crown and the rule of law, as well as our judicial system and parliamentary institutions. Accordingly, I am somewhat saddened by the standard of dress now permitted in this chamber.

Mr Katter —Shocking.

Mr SLIPPER —It is indeed shocking. I support less taxes and less government, along with the principle that there should be reward for initiative, enterprise and hard work. In common with many others in this place, I am a supporter of the principle of States rights, and as a lawyer I have been concerned at their steady erosion since Federation. An immediate worry is the complete misuse, or should I say abuse, by this Government of the Federal external affairs power. Decentralisation of political power and the reversal of current trends must be a top priority for the next government. It is, indeed, a sad state of affairs that more and more decisions affecting Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia are being made centrally by this Parliament, in which those States have little more than numerically nominal representation, albeit of excellent quality. I agree with the honourable member for Denison (Mr Hodgman), who said in his maiden speech a number of years ago:

We believe that Tasmanian decisions should be made by Tasmanians. We believe that West Australian decisions should be made by West Australians.

I am sure he would not mind if I added that Queensland decisions should be made by Queenslanders.

Since the election my electorate office has been inundated with queries from constituents rightly fearful of Labor's savage assets test on pensions. For this reason, I have given notice to this House of an intended motion condemning this brutal imposition on our senior citizens. I am also concerned at the erosion of family values and at the attack on the family as the basic unit in our society.

Alas, time waits for no man, so I must move on. Other matters that must be addressed are the question of constant industrial anarchy and outrageous Aboriginal land claims, as well as the need to follow Mrs Thatcher's sterling example by moving in the direction of privatising nationalised companies and government enterprises. Government is necessary, but we must always remember that it is a necessary evil. Under successive administrations in this country the public sector has spread its unwelcome tentacles in hitherto unthought of directions. Quite frankly, Mr Speaker, it is now time to take a stand and to be honest to our philosophy.

It is fitting that my electorate should be named in honour of the Rt Hon. Andrew Fisher, one of Her Majesty's Privy Councillors and Prime Minister of this nation on three occasions. He was a man of great principle and a person who exercised his many abilities in advancing the Labor cause. He was a great supporter of the idea that the Labor Party should be the political voice of the working man, and in his day it certainly was.

Andrew Fisher was loyal to his sovereign, to the institution of monarchy and to his Party. He gave an outstanding example to everyone who came into contact with him. As Prime Minister, Fisher made an unqualified promise of support to Britain. Honourable members on both sides of the House would know of Fisher's famous declaration that 'Australia would assist the Empire to her last man and shilling'. He decided to resign in 1915 as a result of friction in the Labor Cabinet. Nothing much changes. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Hayden) said so eloquently in this chamber a couple of days ago, 'so we are where we were and we were where we are'.

I intend to serve my electorate, my State and this Parliament to the best of my ability in the tradition of my predecessors, so that I may be considered and counted worthy to be their successor. Time is short and mine has almost expired. Like the right honourable member for New England more than 20 years ago, I would like to adopt the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who said:

This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of the beginning.

I thank the House for its kind indulgence to a new member.

Mr SPEAKER —Order! The honourable member's time has expired. Before calling the honourable member for Burke, I would remind the House that this is the honourable member's maiden speech, and I trust he will be extended the usual courtesies.