I would like to express my gratitude to our community of South Brisbane, for entrusting me with the immense privilege and responsibility of serving as your representative in the Queensland Parliament.

In doing so you have placed your faith in me, your trust in me and, most importantly, your hope for our shared future.

It has been a busy January for me and my team, meeting with constituents, community groups, business associations, our local police and the agencies who serve our community.

A personal highlight was my visits to the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Queensland Children’s Hospital with Shadow Minister for Health, Mark Bailey. These facilities play an essential role in providing world-class healthcare to our community, and it was an excellent opportunity to speak directly with medical staff about the life-changing work they do, each and every day.

Over the course of December and January, I had the opportunity to connect with some of our local P&Cs and attend their school awards nights, where I had the pleasure of celebrating the achievements of our young people. Our schools are the foundation of our community, and it’s crucial that we continue to invest in education to ensure our children have every opportunity to succeed.

Lastly, I have had the privilege of meeting with several of our community social service organisations, including Micah Projects, the St Vincent de Paul Society, Emannuel City Mission, Uniting Care and our social housing services. Their dedicated teams are hard at work supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community, particularly those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Addressing the ongoing housing and cost of living crises is a complex task, but I firmly believe that investing in more social and affordable housing in our local area is a meaningful and practical step towards affordable homes for all Queenslanders.

As your Member of Parliament, I will continue fighting for fairness; to get people out of tents and into stable housing, for affordable housing for renters and first home buyers, for cost-of-living relief, quality healthcare and a strong, safe, united community where every resident is valued and respected.