What happened? Ted O’Brien plans road trip to hear from locals

Q&A Interview with Ted O’Brien, Federal MP for Fairfax 

Re-elected Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien and his wife Sophia cast their votes.

• How do you explain the backlash against the Coalition on Saturday?

Although I am delighted to have been re-elected, I am also conscious that the Liberal-National Government lost office. There is no shortage of political commentary explaining the ‘why’ of the election result, but I’d prefer to hear personally from local residents.

I’m therefore planning a road trip to meet locals across the electorate in the week beginning Monday the 6th of June and I will also have a stall at the Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show. 

In addition to face-to-face discussions, I have also launched a survey (see www.tedobrien.com.au).  My hope is to learn every possible lesson from the election so that I can better represent our local community in the next term of government.

• You’re always very positive. Is it hard to stay positive given the electoral damage? Where to from here, as a party?

Life will be different in opposition, I remain optimistic about our future as a region and a nation. I’m grateful to local residents for entrusting me to continue to serve as their Federal Member, and I’ll continue working as hard as ever. 

• What are your local (hinterland) priorities going forward?

I want to see the big road and rail projects that I secured money for delivered, including the $301 million Bruce Highway upgrade at the Nambour Connection Road - Maroochydore Road interchange and the $550 million for Stage 1 of the Beerburrum to Nambour (B2N) rail upgrade. I also want to see smaller projects for which I secured funding delivered, including upgrades of community facilities and the building of homeless shelters.

Moving forward, I will continue fighting for an improved Stage 2 of the B2N project; that is, full duplication – that’s two tracks – all the way to Nambour. I secured $5 million last year for this improved solution to be designed and we await matched funding from the Queensland Government. I am calling on the newly elected Federal Labor Government to honour the $5 million commitment and the Queensland Government to match it.  

• Do you think the Coalition swung too far to the left on climate change (as Matt Canavan says) or did it go too far to the right (as Simon Birmingham seems to be saying)?

Climate change will continue to be an important factor moving forward, and it’s too complex an area of public policy to simplify into left versus right. Protecting our way of life has always been a priority for me, and that includes protecting our local environment. This will continue to be the case moving forward. 

• Who would you have liked to see become Opposition Leader?

In a show of strength and unity, the Liberal Party has elected Queensland MP Peter Dutton as our new leader and Sussan Ley as our new deputy leader. They are the best leadership team to take us forward.  

• What does the result mean for your role on the Olympics committee?

I will no longer hold my roles on the 2032 Games, but I will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the Sunshine Coast extracts every possible benefit from the Games.