**Check against delivery**
Mr Speaker, it not only a great honour, but very humbling to be giving my first speech here today in this place. As a proud son of Clark I acknowledge that this seat has been home to some great minds and committed representatives who have graced this chamber before me, and I stand here, inspired by their contributions and driven by a responsibility to uphold the legacy.
Tasmania, our island home, has always been a unique tapestry of natural beauty, rich history, and resilient communities. The seat of Clark stands as a testament to this blend of heritage and progress. Nestled between the majestic Mount Wellington and the shimmering waters of the Derwent River, Clark is more than just picturesque landscapes; it is a melting pot of creativity, innovation, and community spirit.
Our people, a diverse blend of Indigenous custodians, descendants of early settlers, and waves of migrants, including my own family, have collectively woven a narrative that speaks to both pride in traditions and hopes for the future. Each individual, whether they've been here for generations or have more recently chosen Clark as their home, contributes to its vibrancy and ensures it remains an inclusive, prosperous part of our state.
Mr Speaker, my own family story is the story of contemporary Tasmania itself – people travelling to a new land and working to build a better future, not for themselves, but for those that come after them. My parents have lived this story, and it's because of their dedication to family, to provide a better future for their children, and to instil in myself and my brothers those very values, I am able to stand here today.
My mother's family immigrated to Australia from Greece in the mid 1950s to Northern Tasmania. Firstly to a farm in Moorleah. They then ran the post office/general store in Irishtown. Not speaking any English, they made it work, and were able to do so only through the support and kindness of the local community.
In early 1970s they moved the family to Hobart for more work and educational opportunities.
Mum had her background in the fashion and retail industry. She worked in various outlets before opening her own women's clothing store in Hobart's CBD, which I very much appreciated as a young teenager, as it allowed my friends and I to use it as an after-school base in the city.
I sadly didn't get to know either of my grandfathers, with my father's father passing away before I was born, and remember only meeting my mother's father once when I was quite young. But both my grandmothers, my yia yias, Sophia and Labrini, were very active in the lives of my brothers and I, looking after us when our parents were busy at work, and fattening us up with all sorts of Greek dishes as all good Greek yia yias do. They have both since passed, and I miss them dearly.
My father grew up in Kalamata in Greece, home of the Kalamata Olive. He was one of 4 siblings, they had a very modest upbringing, spending his earlier years in Greece working in various vocations, as a driver in the Greek Army, during his conscription, as a tow truck driver and getting his trade as a stonemason.
He joined his two older brothers in 1983 who had already immigrated to Australia. He worked for his brothers, Peter and Dennis, in their Salamanca business when he initially moved here.
Being a stonemason by trade in Greece, he eventually opened a stonemason business with his other brother Taki, in North Hobart.
I remember vividly as a young child my father, working in the marble and granite business, leaving home for work before us kids got up to go to school.
I remember him coming home as late as 8-9 o'clock at night covered from head to toe in stone dust, looking like a character out of a 1990s cartoon that had just had something blow up in their face, eating dinner then immediately falling asleep on the couch, exhausted from the day's work.
Those are deeply touching memories for me. They are memories of a father who sacrificed more time, blood, sweat and tears to not just provide for his family, but to build a better future for them.
It's this ethos and work ethic that is at the core of the Tasmanian way, and how our state has grown to be one of the best places in the world to live and raise a family.
And it's embodied in the recent story of our own Tasmanian Liberal Government, which has, since it's election in 2014 steadily built our state out of the economic doldrums.
It is also something that has been instilled in me from a very young age, working with dad in the grocery store he ran in Sorell when I was 12 years old – although at that age I'm not sure he would call my time there "work" – through to working in the family business in Salamanca whilst studying my Economics Degree, through to getting my start in politics, working for Eric Abetz, from whom I learned so much before having the privilege of being elected to the Hobart City Council.
My service on our capital city's council taught me what makes our City tick, talking to people on a day to day basis and learning what issues they are facing and their concerns for the future was certainly eye opening.
I learned that, contrary to my expectations, it's the little moments that were most rewarding moments, not the big, high profile debates and decisions covered by the newspapers - being able to help one person with a problem.
That might seem small in the grand scheme of things to some, but it meant something to that individual. I saw what great things government can do when it listens and acts in the interests of the people it serves, as well as the frustrations it can cause when it doesn't.
My interest in the political world started at a young age, when the then Labor Government's Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill sent many small, family-owned businesses to the wall overnight, including my father's store in Sorell, which had its business smashed not long after by the large chain supermarket that had opened across the street.
I remember the sight, one which I'm sure was a familiar one in many Tasmanian households during that time, of my parents sitting at a dining table covered in paperwork and bills, quietly stressed out of their minds from the pressures of trying to keep their small business afloat in the face of increasing challenges and a government that had no regard for them or other small business owners, all while trying to raise a young family.
I was 11 years old at the time. I remember not quite understanding the details of what was happening, or why, but recognising nonetheless the impact it was having on my parents and my family.
It made a strong impression on me, that governments should listen to what is going on in the community, before making upending decisions at the behest of big corporations, and I firmly believe that small business is not only the engine room of our economy, it's where the soul of our cities and towns resides.
As I grew older my interest in civic duty grew, in learning what government actions and policies worked for the people I cared about and what didn't, and this interest only accelerated once I started studying Economics at the University of Tasmania.
Between being raised in the world of family business, to my studies in Economics, it was inevitable my political values would find a home in the party of Sir Robert Menzies.
The values of the Liberal Party, as laid out by Menzies, remain relevant today.
We believe in the individual, and their individuality and their agency.
We believe in the rule of law, and that given goodwill, mutual tolerance and understanding, energy and an individual sense of purpose, there is no task we cannot perform, and no difficulty we cannot overcome.
We have seen this play out. We have made some really tough decisions as a state over the years, but the people of Tasmania pull together during tough times.
We did what was needed, and took care of our neighbours.
The Liberal Party's original "We Believe" includes this timeless point:
"WE BELIEVE THAT THE 'CLASS WAR' IS A FALSE WAR. The real conflicts of our time is not between 'classes' in the old sense, but between the iron discipline of autocracy - whether Communist or Fascist - and the self-imposed discipline of the free man. The spirit of man must prevail."
In a world where socialist and fascist voices are louder than they have been for decades, such sentiments are more relevant and important now than ever.
The world continues to look to liberal democracies for leadership and moral compass, so rather than looking at matters through the foolish and hateful lens of the politics of envy, the real fight is against authoritarianism, and for individual liberty.
It also states:
"WE BELIEVE IN THE GREAT HUMAN FREEDOMS; to worship; to think; to speak; to choose; to be ambitious; to be independent; to be industrious, to acquire skill, to seek and earn reward."
We are reminded of the bedrock upon which our society is built—the undeniable rights to freedom of expression and action. These freedoms are not mere privileges but the very essence of our way of life in Tasmania. They underpin every success story, every innovation, and every act of courage within our borders. These freedoms allow each Tasmanian to dream, to strive, and to excel. In recognizing these rights, we empower our citizens not just to live but to thrive, to not merely exist within the system but to actively shape their own destiny.
This is the Tasmania I believe in—one where each individual has the right to worship as they choose, to speak their mind without fear, to engage in honest toil, and to be duly rewarded for it.
Mr. Speaker, as we journey forward, the echoes of our past convictions must guide our steps. We must remain vigilant against the encroachment of controls that threaten to stifle our economic vitality or constrain the liberties of our people.
These principles have stood the test of time because they are fundamentally aligned with the human spirit—a spirit that yearns for autonomy, achievement, and a fair reward for its labours.
I give particular regard to the freedoms of speech and political expression—liberties fundamental to the fabric of our democracy. It is through the robust exchange of ideas, the unfettered discourse on matters of state, that we distil the essence of progress.
Yes, this means engaging in conversations that can, at times, be uncomfortable or confronting.
Yes, it means that we must brace ourselves against the friction of dissent, for it is only by confronting our challenges, by naming and debating them, in a fearless, yet mature and respectful way, we may forge solutions together.
Mr Speaker, I remember as a Uni student the prevailing wisdom was that once you graduated, you fled the state in search of opportunity. Since March 2014 we've built those opportunities here at home, and today Tasmanian has nearly 55,000 more people employed, the unemployment rate has almost halved and people are, in contrast to before, flocking to our great state in search of those opportunities.
Tasmania has become the envy of the nation for tourism and world class attractions like Mona and the Salamanca Markets, our local shops and entertainment precincts, and our state's unparalleled natural beauty has countless people coming from around the world to experience all Tasmania has to offer.
I intend on spending my time in this place working to keep our state building for those that come after us. Building houses to ensure all Tasmanians have a roof over their heads. Building infrastructure so that Tasmanians can make their way around this great state, and building our economy so that Tasmanians can chase their own aspirations.
This is what this state needs from this place, and from their local representatives. To work, and to build for a better future for our children, and their children.
I intend on using my time in this place to support the people out there in the community who are grinding it out to do the same. Howard's Battlers, the Quiet Australians, Sir Robert Menzies' Forgotten People.
Sir Menzies once said in his famous speech: The Forgotten People:
I do not believe that the real life of this nation is to be found either in great luxury hotels and the petty gossip of so-called fashionable suburbs, or in the officialdom of the organised masses. It is to be found in the homes of people who are nameless and unadvertised, and who, whatever their individual religious conviction or dogma, see in their children their greatest contribution to the immortality of their race.
Mr Speaker, our children and young people represent today's greatest contribution to tomorrow – they are the future of this state, which we surely all agree is the greatest place on earth to live and to raise a family. Tasmania's future is one of such boundless potential, and we owe it to future Tasmanians, our community, to seize that potential and leave Tasmania a place where those that come after us are free to pursue their ambitions and work to leave a better tomorrow for their families.
Amongst all the economic discussions and statistics, it is important to remember that we are talking about human lives – individuals and families with values and aspirations, and the role of the state should be to enable the economic conditions that allow a people to live according to their values and principles, and to follow their dreams.
When I say aspirations, Mr Speaker, I'm not just talking about careers and bank accounts either, but the whole range of things that people aspire to in life; to find somewhere to call home, to find love, to raise a family, to be able to be there for those that matter to them.
Some have said that politics sometimes focusses too much on the economy, but a strong economy does influence the ability of everyday Tasmanians to chase their aspirations. Governments should not aim to provide their people with subsistence but empower them to truly live their lives with agency, according to their own ideals and values.
We must resist the privileged minority who would have Tasmania frozen in stasis, who want to turn Hobart into Slowbart – who oppose the construction of critical housing, who chain themselves to the machinery of productive and sustainable industry in our state to the detriment of Tasmanian jobs, who always say no.
I saw this attitude first-hand on numerous occasions during my time as an Alderman in the Hobart City Council. On the one hand, we had a Council declaring a housing crisis, on the other, we had a Council blocking critical housing projects for spurious reasons, including rejecting houses being built on non-heritage listed properties with heritage issues cited as the reason for rejection!
If we want to create a Tasmania where our people thrive, we must not make the mistake of attempting to appease the unappeasable – of listening to the professional activists who want to wreck our job-creating industries, and attack those who employ, grow our economy and build the infrastructure and housing Tasmanians desperately need. We do not need to speculate to know what the outcome would be if we allowed the "not in my backyard" anti-everything activists to dictate the decisions we make for our state, we'd be back to the dying days of the Labor-Green Government in a flash, where we were the basket case of the nation, with the highest unemployment by a country mile and a brain-drain caused by so many bright young Tasmanians fleeing our state to chase the opportunities elsewhere.
We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past if we want a future where we attract and retain those looking for opportunity, rather than losing our best and brightest to other States. We must build that future today. Build the homes to house families. Build the infrastructure and industry to keep our State moving and keep Tasmanians in productive jobs.
That is how we ensure a strong and vibrant state that has the resources to support our most vulnerable, protect our state's natural beauty and resources without bringing our economy to a screeching halt.
Mr Speaker, I would like to thank a few people who have got me to this place today.
First, my brothers, Michael and Alexander for putting up with me, keeping me grounded by mercilessly teasing me, and helping me during the craziness of the 2021 election.
I would like to thank my mother and father for all their love and support. I would not have been able to survive what was such a hectic campaign without being able to lean on them. My father in particular, who operated as a one-man corflute crew for the duration of the campaign. When some signs were being subject to nightly vandalism, he would go out at night, by himself, to take down every corflute he could spot, leaving the frames and star pickets. He would then get out of bed early every morning to drive back out and put them all back up, refusing my assistance each night, wanting to ensure I was focussed on being out talking to the community.
I also would like to thank the talented Mr Gillie, who took every one of my calls and messages, no matter how unreasonable my questions or the hour. Daniel has been a true source of wisdom and sage counsel for me and so many times has helped me stay on the right track and kept me grounded.
I want to thank my great friend Quinten, my brother from another mother. The second I told him I would be running in the 2021 election he jumped in a car with me and spent hours on the phones and has backed me at every opportunity.
To my family in the Liberal Party who assisted me and supported me, Clark electorate chair Corey Mingari, Ross Copping, Gemma Milling (who always reminded me to "make good choices" and dedicated herself to ensuring "my head didn't get too big to fit through the door"), Claire Chandler and Chris Edwards, who have both been great supports and sounding boards for my wild ideas, Ed Boutchard, Jack McShane, Mel Mingari and the rest of the Young Liberal Movement. The Young Liberal Movement holds a special place in my heart as the future of the Liberal Party, and it remains true that Young Liberals are the backbone of the volunteer force that helps so many candidates.
A special thank you to the late Alan Ashbarry, my campaign manager who kept me organised, a former colleague, a dedicated servant to the community, an unparalleled encyclopedia of anything to do with forestry or Tasmanian political history, a man with all the maps, and a great friend. The world is just that bit more colourful for having had you in it.
Thank you to Eric Abetz and Michael Ferguson, who both gave me opportunities in civic life, but also taught me so much.
Finally to my darling love Lauren, my whole heart. Every moment with you is enough to get me through anything.
The world of small business bears many similarities to running for office – the risks we take, the vulnerabilities we expose ourselves to in the hopes of achieving our aspirations. As Members of this place, and as Tasmanians we must hold lofty goals for the future of our state, and if we are to realise them, have the courage to take risks, to have those sometimes uncomfortable conversations, and to make difficult decisions for the sake of those who entrust this responsibility to us.
Theodore Roosevelt summed this up best when he said:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Mr Speaker, Tasmania's history is full of those who devoted themselves to worthy causes and built our state; those who risked defeat and loss to strive towards great triumphs, and our state is so much the better for them.
As I said earlier, Tasmania's future is full of boundless potential. We must do as those who came before us. We must strive and dare greatly to create a society that our young people deserve. One that allows hope, aspiration and opportunity, but at the same time as one that cares for and supports our most vulnerable, so that they may also live their best life and chase their own aspirations.
Since 2014 we have built a State we can all be proud of – and we owe it to every single Tasmanian to continue that work, and I dedicate myself to this goal in my time in this place.
I truly believe that regardless of political stripe or differences of opinion, everyone who puts their hand up to serve as representatives of this place, does so out of a genuine passion for Tasmania and for our community. We may sometimes disagree on what the best course of action, but I know we do so in good faith and from a place of genuine care – and that Mr Speaker, is something that we can work with. I look forward to the hard work of progressing Tasmania in this place to benefit all who live in our great state.
