Melissa's Maiden Speech

“It is now my responsibility to ensure the aspirational people of Lindsay, working hard to get ahead for their families, continue to be listened to and fought for. 

It is with an enormous amount of gratitude to this microcosm of Australia, our community of Lindsay, that I humbly stand before you today to make my inaugural speech to parliament. 

Thank you for placing your trust in me to represent you, to deliver my plan for Lindsay and, as Prime Minister Howard also said in Penrith that day, I promise to work for you very, very hard. 

I will fight for the people who are working hard for their families and commuting out of the area every day for a good job. They have said they don't want to be doing that long commute. They want jobs close to home. 

Today, only five per cent of people in Western Sydney live within 30 minutes of their work. As someone who commuted for over 10 years, there is nothing I want more for our community than good local jobs. 

I will fight for our families who want a healthy community, better recreational and sporting facilities, and a beautiful Nepean River.

For the mums and dads who drive their kids to school, I'll fight—and for our tradies who use our roads for work. They've said they want less congestion and to get to where they're going, and home again, safer, and quicker.

I will fight for small businesses, people who are having a go. They have said they want to have a strong local economy and fewer taxes on their businesses so they can focus on what they do best for their customers.

I'll fight for retired people, as our community ages I will ensure they are not forgotten. 

And I will fight to maintain our very strong community spirit. This is a foundation of a great community. In Lindsay, community spirit is not just in our foundation; we are full to the brim and overflowing with it.

I love representing our community, working hard to fulfil their aspirations, and delivering my plan for Lindsay.”

You can read my full speech here: 
First Speech: Mrs Melissa McIntosh MP – Parliament of Australia (aph.gov.au)