New LNP Senator-elect Matthew Canavan will base his office permanently in Rockhampton – building on a strong history of LNP Senators making the city a home-base for constituents.
Senator-elect Canavan made the announcement today flanked by fellow LNP Federal MP’s Michelle Landry (Capricornia) and Ken O’Dowd (Flynn).
The former economist, political adviser and beef industry advocate will take up the new Senate role on July 1, replacing retiring Senate stalwart Ron Boswell.
“The first job of a representative is to listen to what people want. It’s a lot easier to do that with an office with a street front in a regional town than on the top floor of a building in Brisbane,” Mr Canavan said
“A politician’s office should first be a listening post and we need more of them in regional Queensland.”
The Senator-elect was a former Chief of Staff to Barnaby Joyce, now the Federal Agriculture Minister.
“I am not moving myself and my family for the warm weather and beaches, I am moving because Central Queensland deserves political representation and it’s our job in the Senate to represent regional Australia.
“Central Queensland can be a launching pad for the future of Queensland and our nation. So much of our nation’s wealth, in terms of coal, beef and tourism, starts here. We need to do more to support those wealth-producing industries because it is these industries that produce jobs,” Mr Canavan said.
“I am passionate about making sure we invest in regional Queensland because that is where our future growth and opportunity lies.
“Since the election I have been working for a beef company, so I’m excited about coming to the ‘beef capital’ of the nation.”
The new Senate office will bolster the Liberal National Party’s growing strength in Central Queensland.
Mr Canavan’s office will be the first Senate office in Rockhampton since Senator Stan Collard, who was a Nationals Party Senator in the 1970s and 1980s. Senator Ian Macdonald also had a second Senate office in Rockhampton more recently.
Mr Canavan said Central Queensland already had some strong LNP voices in Michelle Landry (Capricornia), Ken O’Dowd (Flynn) and George Christensen (Dawson).
“I want to be part of the team and add one more voice to make sure we benefit from the LNP’s commitment to invest in northern Australia and build more dams,” he said.
The Senator-elect was elected at last year’s Federal Election and will take his seat in the Senate on July 1. He will sit with The Nationals in Canberra, replacing Senator Ron Boswell.
Mr Canavan was previously a Director at the Productivity Commission, a Senior Executive with KPMG and Senator Barnaby Joyce’s Chief of Staff. He is currently working with Australia’s largest privately-owned, vertically-integrated beef producer, Stanbroke, before taking his Senate position. He currently lives in Toowoomba with his wife and three young children.
A dinner to welcome Mr Canavan will be held in Rockhampton on Wednesday May 7 organised by Capricorn Enterprise. More details will be provided soon.
