First Speech

Mr David Bolt (Murray–Wellington) (4:01 pm): What a wonderful time to be alive. We are in a period of amazing scientific and technological innovation, the likes of which we have never witnessed before. It is providing a time of unprecedented opportunity, but for many it is a time of great uncertainty, and sadly for others it is a time of great inequality. Our challenge in this house is: What we will do with this time? I am so grateful to be here and to be able to stand here today to deliver my inaugural speech to the 42nd Parliament of Western Australia. I do this with a profound sense of gratitude and pride. I am humbled to be representing over 57,000 people in my seat of Murray–Wellington. This is indeed an immense honour. I am equally honoured to be here to represent the Liberal Party, a party with a proud and enduring tradition founded on fundamental values of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free enterprise and accountable government. I congratulate you, Acting Speaker (Mr Stephen Pratt), on your election and all those here for the first time, as well as those who are returning to this house. I look forward to working alongside all of you.

I cannot help but feel a sense of history and responsibility knowing my district was once represented by one of the Liberal Party's greats. That was Sir Ross McLarty. Born and raised in Pinjarra, a few steps along the road from my electoral office, he held the seat of Murray–Wellington for over three decades. A farmer who turned to be a politician, he led the WA Liberal Party through its early years, serving as Premier from 1947 to 1953. I acknowledge Geoff and Deborah McLarty, who are in the gallery today—thank you. Geoff, a direct descendent of Sir Ross McLarty, was my campaign manager and still lives on the original McLarty farmland. I thank both of you for being here today. To my family and friends in the gallery and those perhaps watching online now or sometime in the future, it means so much to have you share this special occasion with me today. To my predecessors, Robyn Clarke MLA and, before her, Murray Cowper MLA, I acknowledge the passion you both brought to this role, as together you represented the region for over 20 years. Your contributions are noted, and they are appreciated.

It is nice to be important, but it is far more important to be nice. That is the kind of thing my dad used to say. He had a whole collection of sayings like that. Of course, growing up, I did not always appreciate his pearls of wisdom. But since his passing a few years ago, I found myself thinking more about his sayings and those handwritten notes he would leave around the house. They have taken on a whole new meaning for me in these later years. Dad was our family historian; he loved telling stories about growing up in Fremantle and took real pride in our deep WA roots. Those family stories meant a lot to him. They gave him a sense of grounding and he passed that sense on to me. Dad would often talk about my great-grandfather, Captain Edward Bolt, and his wife, Hannah, who arrived in Fremantle aboard the Chalgrove in July 1883. He was a true pioneer master mariner. He commanded several ships: the Helena Mena, Charlotte Padbury, Annie McDonald and Tribune, especially built for the London to Fremantle trade routes. These ships made regular trips exporting wool, ore and timber from the young WA colony and bringing back passengers, immigrants and much-needed supplies. To colonists, the return of these ships was an eagerly awaited event, bringing not just goods but also news from the homeland. Captain Bolt did not just sail ships; he built them as well. He founded and went on to start a shipbuilding firm in East Fremantle called Bolt and Co, right where HMAS Leeuwin sits today. He was often at sea, sailing from Fremantle and Rockingham up to Champion Bay and ports further north, moving sandalwood, horses and cattle between the early settlements. He was right in the thick of it, helping connect and grow our early communities.

William and Hannah had four children: Edward; Benjamin; John (Jack) William, my grandfather; and Elizabeth. Benjamin went on to become a naval commander and was held as a POW in Japan during the war. Dad's mum, Emme, also came from pioneering stock. Her great-grandparents sailed from Devonshire to Dubbo in 1837 aboard the City of Edinburgh, a ship that was later wrecked in the Bass Strait near King Island. In the 1900s, Emme's parents, William and Mabel Muller, moved to Fremantle and raised their large family in Swanbourne. Jack and Emme's son Don, or "Donny Boy", as my dad was lovingly called, had to grow up fast as he lost his father at just 10 years old. Like so many others, his dad, Jack, never fully recovered from a shrapnel wound to the head and from gas exposure during the fighting in the trenches in Pozières in France. He also served in Gallipoli.

My mum, Patricia, was quiet but determined, stemming from her own tough upbringing in Northbridge, Perth. She was the youngest of four, growing up with Arthur, Aubrey and Pauline. Her mum, Emily, left a difficult marriage. Her dad, Harry, was a talented electrician but struggled with alcohol, which took its toll on the family. Nanna worked incredibly hard cleaning from early morning to late at night six days a week. She had to pay the rent and keep the food on the table, but she was tough, and she passed that strength on to my mother. My mum and dad met at a youth group. They were both musical. Dad played the violin. He also played the piano and even sang on the local radio station. Mum also played the piano and banjo mandolin. One time, she borrowed Dad's mandolin, and when she asked him whether he ever needed it back, he cheekily replied, "Only if you come back with it!" They were married not long after that. My mum, Patricia, was the heart of our home, keeping everything running smoothly, while Dad poured himself into his career as a teacher. Eventually, he became the school principal. He had a real passion for education, chaplaincy work and the local church. He loved running youth camps at Point Peron, and later he helped set up a public campsite at Busselton beach, which, I believe, is still running.

As for me, I was born in the 1960s. I know that is hard to believe, but it is true! Back then, there were no prenatal ultrasounds and what you were getting was a surprise. After having two boys, Mum was desperate for a girl—so desperate. So, when the midwife said, "Congratulations, Patricia; it's a beautiful baby boy", Mum shot back, "All that hard work for another boy!" Even the cards from her friends read more like condolences than congratulations. But she loved me just the same—I know that—even if she did dress me in pink and yellow for the first few years of my life! As the youngest of three, I would often hear my brothers, Stephen and Andrew, grumble that the rules had gone soft by the time I came along. More likely, with a nine-year gap between us, Mum and Dad were just a bit worn out and had learnt to pick their battles, particularly with me. But I would like to think they had simply figured out there was no need to mess with perfection! Growing up, Dad and I did not really have that playful bond I saw some other kids share with their fathers. We did not kick the footy around much or just muck about. Life for Dad was a bit more serious than all that, but I always knew he loved us deeply and he was always proud of us. I think losing his own dad so young meant he never really had a model for that kind of easy father–son fun stuff. But with Dad as a school principal and the one in charge of discipline, we knew if he ever brought the cane home, we were in serious trouble. Mum, on the other hand, preferred the wooden spoon, and later found that just threatening to use the power cord did the trick for us. Despite mentioning all that, I have to say our home was a haven. I can count on one hand the number of times I heard Mum and Dad raise their voices. If they ever argued, it was never in front of us kids, and I am forever grateful for their gift of a calm and loving home.

Another one of Dad's favourite sayings was: "If you can't find anything nice to say about someone, you're not looking hard enough." He was a classic dad, always looking to see the best in other people. My only real regret is that Mum and Dad are not here to share this special moment with me today, but I carry their love with me. It is my touchstone, and their sense of fairness I will always endeavour to bring to this role. I also know that they would be incredibly proud if they were here today.

I have been incredibly lucky in my life, with more opportunities than I could ever imagine. I went to Cyril Jackson High School in good old Bassendean. Yes; go the Swan Districts! I spent a gap year in the United States on a Rotary exchange, living with five host families in a small western midwestern town called Grand Island, Nebraska. If you think American Graffiti, hot rods, cruising the strip, burgers at roadside diners, basketball and gridiron—that was about it. Through that time, I visited 21 states, much of it via Greyhound bus. That experience opened my eyes to both the promise of America and the real and deep social divisions, especially in the south of the country. As a kid, I wanted to be an animator. I would spend hours drawing cartoons and filming them with a super 8 camera. While on exchange, I was even offered an art scholarship but eventually chose a safer path and studied engineering. At university in the 1980s, I learnt to code using punch cards on a Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-11 mainframe. Some members may remember. Remember the days when you got one card out of order and the whole program failed? You would have to come back the next day. But I was lucky enough in those days to be studying during the dawn of the microprocessor. I built my own computers and used them to generate some of the first colour computer animations, and blended my love for art with my new technical skills.

Life took another turn when I landed a summer internship with the ABC, my first real job. I was asked to build a graphic system to show live election results on television, colour-coded in real time, showing the results of the election from this very chamber. I do not think that software is still used, but I think Antony Green still owes me a lot! I graduated, then joined IBM in Sydney as an engineer, and my first task was managing the original IBM personal computer. Some members may recall that machine. No-one at the company really knew what it could do—it was a mainframe company—or how to market it. My boss said to me, "Just find out what this thing does, will you?" So I did. When we ran Australia's first PC trade show, it kicked off a long and successful career working across Asia, Europe and the USA, working closely with many of the pioneers of the technical industry. It was really a golden age. We even had a computer manufacturing plant in Wangaratta, Victoria, building products for local and international markets. But, sadly, like the car industry, those jobs all moved offshore.

My career took me onto Intel, the computer chip company, and I ran Australia's division for seven years, followed by a board role at one of the largest local technology firms in Australia. Eventually, with a young family, I stepped back from the corporate world and started a small software company back in WA. That shift opened the door to nearly a decade working in local government with the Shire of Murray, including seven years as its president. I want to thank Dean Unsworth, the CEO, who is here today, and my fellow councillors for their fabulous support during those years. I chaired Rivers Regional Council, helping to establish Australia's first 40 megawatt waste-to-energy plant in Kwinana, which is up and running now, and much of the credit for that goes to John McNally, the CEO. With some time spent on the Peel Regional Leaders Forum and Peel Development Commission, I gained a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities in regional Western Australia.

I would like to talk about my electorate, which spans the Shires of Murray, Waroona and Harvey, stretching from stunning coastlines and fertile farmland to the majestic northern jarrah forest. It is a region rich in beauty, history and culture, home to the Noongar people for thousands of years and more recently to generations of early settlers and now to many hardworking families. But Murray–Wellington is not just a place on the map; it is the people who make it what it is today—the Western Australians who keep our region going. It is the dairy and cattle farmers up before dawn, the horticulturalists working the land and the fly-in fly-out workers leaving family behind to keep our industries running and the royalties flowing. It is the nurse with too many patients, the teacher doing their best with limited support and challenging students, and it is the police officer who is stretched so thin. It is also the local volunteer fixing up the sports club, the cafe worker juggling two jobs and the small business owner putting in seven days a week, hoping to make a return in the future. It is the young person without reliable transport, or worse, without a safe place to sleep. When disaster hits, it is the emergency services volunteer who shows up without hesitation. These are the people in the heart of Murray–Wellington, and I carry their stories into this place. I am here to be their voice, fighting for recognition and the support that they deserve. From Pinjarra to Harvey, Brunswick to Waroona, these are the communities that grow our food, power our economy and enrich our way of life. Throughout my campaign I met many of these same people, and when we spoke, I had a simple message: our region deserves better. It was a clear message that resonated with the many people who I spoke with. It was students, young families, farmers and retired couples who all gave me similar feedback. They were frustrated, whether it was with issues with rising costs, access to housing, legislation or government overreach. There was a real sense that they were feeling more and more left behind. (Member's time extended.)

To these people, decisions often made in Parliament, way up in Perth, were missing the mark, particularly down where they lived. We all know that our communities deserve the same respect, services and opportunities as anyone in the metro area, but too often, that is not what they believe they are getting. As I take on this role, I am guided by some core values. Firstly, fairness: meaning equal access to services and opportunities no matter where you live. Stewardship: meaning the responsibility to protect and improve what we have already been given. Enterprise: this is supporting small business, families and local initiatives. Compassion: this is because a strong society looks after its most vulnerable. These values are the ones that I bring to this chamber, and I would like to continue to do so.

For a moment, I would like to share a few of my focus priorities based on what I heard from those people right across the region, because these are the issues I believe we must address if we are serious about moving forward together. Firstly, strengthening our regional health care. One of the biggest concerns I keep hearing about is how hard it is to access timely local health care. People should not have to drive hours just to see a doctor or get a basic treatment. That is why I will be advocating for additional hospital funding and the expansion of health services right across the region so care is available closer to home for all those people. We need to secure regional water. Water security is becoming a critical issue for not just our households, but also our farms, industries and ecosystems. We need a clear statewide strategy that invests in long-term water supply projects, especially in areas like Peel and the South West, which are already under pressure. We need to boost our regional housing. We all know that the cost of housing is pushing essential workers out of the communities that they are here to support. I call for a full review of the Government Regional Officers' Housing program and push for local councils to have more say in land releases and infrastructure planning. We need to get more homes built and we need to do that quickly. We need to empower our local industries. Right now, we are exporting our resources, but not necessarily jobs. We will be pushing for investment in regional industry zones, supporting local manufacturing hubs and encouraging bipartisan backing for WA-based manufacturing—growing strategies that also grow our towns.

Regional crime is increasing and there is no doubt that in some areas it is damaging community confidence. While we need to be tough, I also believe many of the solutions will ultimately lie in prevention. I want to work closely with police and local organisations on strategies that focus on youth engagement, mental health and community-led safety programs. Our local clubs and sports clubs do a lot. They do more than just bring people together on weekends; they build stronger, more connected communities. I will keep fighting to make sure they get the support and recognition that they deserve, whether that is funding for facilities or help with volunteers and operations. Delivering affordable and reliable energy is so critical. People in regional WA are paying more for power, often with less reliability. That really needs to change, and I will advocate for a regional energy security plan that includes upgrades to transmission lines, supports renewable projects where they make sense, and keeps gas on as the base load power generator well into the future. Our roads need to be safe and our transport infrastructure needs upgrading. Our road network is vital, but too much of it is outdated and unsafe. I will push for accelerated black spot funding, better freight routes and improved public and community transport links, because we know good roads and transport options save lives and grow economies. We need to safeguard the environment and our catchments. Our forest catchments and local biodiversity are under real pressure. I want to see stronger protections in vulnerable areas, more investment in mitigation and environmental restoration, and support for local leadership in building environmental resilience. Finally, we need to plan for climate resilience. From coastal erosion to riverbank collapse, the impacts of climate change are already hitting our communities. We need to prepare and we will be pushing for dedicated funding for climate adaptation and erosion management so that we can build the infrastructure and stability we need for the long term. These 10 areas form the basis of a practical, achievable and community-driven agenda—one that puts regional WA where it belongs at the centre of our state's future—because we all know that when the regions are strong, all Western Australians are stronger.

I do not think good ideas belong to just one party, so I am committed to working with everybody across the chamber if it means getting better outcomes for our community. I will listen to the experts, work closely with local councils and key stakeholders, and stay engaged through our committee process. Finally, let me talk about the broader vision I hold for the state. It is my goal to see a WA where prosperity is not just something the city enjoys, where kids growing up in the regions have the same chances as those in Perth, and where families can build a good life without feeling they need to move away. It will be a state that leads the way on clean, reliable but also affordable energy, smart manufacturing, and reliable and sustainable farming, and a state that grows in a way that includes everybody. Most of all, I want a WA that is proud, fair and driven by the strong community spirit that we all know and love. That is the future that I will work for and work towards: grounded in values, focused on real solutions, and built on the belief that our best days are still to come.

Getting to this place is not something any of us can achieve alone. It is only made possible through the support, dedication and hard work of many others. I stand here today not on my own efforts but on those of my remarkable team who helped me push forward. To my campaign team: chair Heather Gilmour, campaign manager Geoff McLarty, deputy Dave Galloway and my Treasurer, Mervyn Williams, thank you all. You kept me focused, helped raise the funds and lifted my spirits on those mornings that I just felt like pulling the covers up and over my head. Geoff, your regular calls, the car rides and your persistence kept me going. To Laurie and Christina, Jane-Ann and Deb McLarty, as well as Peter Shannon and Greg Weller from Waroona, thank you all for being there at every turn—and Greg, thank you for the trailer. To Geoff Booth, Trevor and Cheryl Delaport and John and Jacqui, your energy and enthusiasm were infectious. To Sue, Ron and Adam Warren—what can I say, you guys. I know I would not be here without your efforts. You are all amazing. To my friend and now colleague in the upper house Michelle Boylan, and to the entire Boylan family and clan, thank you. You saved my bacon, particularly on pre-poll, more than once. Thank you. Without your involvement, this opportunity would not have been possible. To the many volunteers, booth captains, tireless pre-poll workers and our outdoor sign team—too many to name—you are not forgotten, and I appreciate you. To those who gave generously to support the campaign financially, your backing meant we were able to spread the message widely. Finally, to the head office team of Simon, Jessie, Kate and Cam, thank you again for all your assistance.

To my branches, neighbouring campaign teams and federal colleagues, I also thank you and I hope next time to see more of us across the line. To my office team who have recently joined me, Beverly and Emily here today, thank you and let's get ready for a wild ride. To my brothers, Stephen and Andrew, and Margaret and Sue, I hope you are watching and enjoying sailing the yacht around the Mediterranean. I suppose I will eventually forgive you for not being here in person, but I understand your reasons. I love you all and look forward to catching up soon. Finally, to my beautiful and loving wife, Bridget, thank you for always believing in and supporting me through this unpredictable, exhausting and extraordinary journey; for your calm presence; for your patience; for turning off the lights and shutting down the computer when I used to fall asleep when working in bed; and for never once complaining when I was so grumpy or stressed. And, of course, thanks to the clothes drawer fairies. To my daughter, Mel, and my son, Tim, you make me proud every single day and you make my life beautiful and worth living. You also make great coffee, thank you.

When sorting through some of my father's files, I found two short quotes. They obviously struck a chord with him as he had written them down in his diary. I would like to share a couple with you. These handwritten words spoke to me and tipped me across the line, motivating me to stand for this office. The first part he wrote was from John Locke, and it says, "Where there is no desire, there is no industry." It speaks to a timeless truth. Human effort and productivity are fuelled by motivation. Industry here does not just mean economic activity or business, but rather diligence, hard work and the pursuit of progress. It means that without any drive or desire, there can be no sustained effort or innovation. The second was from Elbert Hubbard, "There is no failure except in no longer trying." It is a reminder that the true test of character, whether in life, in leadership or in the work of this Parliament, is not in how often we fall short, but in our willingness to rise again and continue working. If we are prepared to keep striving through disagreement, challenge and change, we have not failed. We are simply forging the path that every generation must walk: imperfect, unfinished, but always going forward.

As I finish, I am also reminded that whatever the reason and whatever the path that brought us here, we should never fool ourselves into thinking that our achievements stand alone. We walk in the footsteps of those who came before us, and their photos line the walls outside of this hall. They stood in this very room. Their efforts laid strong and deep foundations for everything that we get to do now. We can all now share in that history. It brought us here to this moment in our shared journey. I genuinely believe that if we are to build anything of lasting value, it will not come from question time theatre, conflict or division. It will come from a willingness to look beyond our party lines, to recognise our differences, but to still choose to work together in service of something greater than ourselves.

Speaker, I am reminded this chamber is not just a place for debate; it is a place where positive and inclusive legacy can be built. It is in that spirit that I hope to honour the hard work and efforts of my family, my friends and all those who have served here before me, to strive with respect, effort and ambition to help build a fairer, stronger and more hopeful future for the people who place their trust in all of us—the great people of Western Australia. Speaker, I commend my remarks to the house.