The United Australia Party executive has announced a strong Queensland Senate team to contest the May 18 Federal Election, headed by Federal Party Leader Clive Palmer.
Mr Palmer will be joined on the United Australia Party Senate ticket by company director and Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserves, Martin Brewster and respected advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, Yodie Batzke.
Mr Palmer said he was honoured to be leading the United Australia Party Senate team in Queensland, with Ms Batzke being highly active in North Queensland, Mr Brewster a strong campaigner for central and western Queensland and himself from the state’s south east corner.
“The United Australia Party will make Queensland a better state for all,” he said.
In 2012 Mr Palmer was elected by the popular vote of the Australian people as a National Living Treasure, awarded by the National Trust.
He was named as the Mining Entrepreneur of the Decade in 2012 by Government Australia Magazine.
Mr Palmer’s projects and companies have been responsible for creating over 60,000 jobs in Australia over the last 30 years.
Mr Palmer served in the House of Representatives in the 44th parliament of Australia and has a strong commitment to public service both in Australia and internationally.
As the Federal Member of Fairfax, where he broke the Coalition’s hold on the seat for the first time in political history, Mr Palmer made a significant impact, paving the way for an international airport and delivering the long-promised $4.9 billion to upgrade the Bruce Highway.
National achievements have included, amongst many others, stopping the GP co-payment, stopping $10 billion cuts to social security, resolving over 30,000 cases in detention, keeping the schoolkids bonus and low income support, saving the Climate Change Authority and Clean Energy Finance Corporation, fixing pensions for all ex-servicemen and women over 55, abolishing the carbon and mining taxes, keeping Qantas Australian-owned and stopping financial incentives to sell public assets.
Martin Brewster is a civil engineer with 35 years’ experience working in a variety of senior executive positions in both the private and public sectors including Business Manager with the Townsville City Council and company director of mining and resource companies.
Mr Brewster has loyally served his country with the RAAF for 27 years and has continued as an RAAF Reservist.
“As a father of four, I understand the daily cost of living and time pressures that modern families have to deal with. That’s why responsible economic management by government is crucial and education, health care, community safety and employment are key priorities,” Mr Brewster said.
Yodie Batzke is a leading Indigenous advocate committed to Australia and all of its people. She is an active member of North Queensland communities as a theology teacher, minister of religion and adjunct lecturer with the Centre for Tropical Urban & Regional Planning College of Science and Technology James Cook University Cairns Campus.
Over the past 33 years, she has been actively involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.
“I am passionate and active in advocating the rights of all members of our community irrespective of ethnicity or socio-economic background through business innovation, welfare and economic reform and infrastructure project development,” she said.
“As a political advocate and candidate for United Australia Party, it is my desire to continue providing a strong voice lobbying all levels of government against the social and economic disparities affecting families, communities and businesses,” she said.
Ms Batzke is of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decent and identifies with the Wuthathi people of Shelburne Bay Cape York and Boigu Island Torres Straits. She is the United Australia Party’s Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs.
Mr Palmer said that for the first time Australia has real choice instead of the duopoly that Liberal and Labor have created by voting together to keep other alternatives out of the Federal parliament.
“Hardworking Australians are looking for real change to their lives which only the United Australia Party can deliver,” he said.
