Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, says the Whitsundays is now facing an unprecedented double threat: a proposed wind farm pushed into the heart of rural communities, and growing fears about asbestos contamination that are eroding public trust in government safeguards and environmental protections.

The face of Australian manufacturing has changed beyond recognition in recent years, and not for the better. Once a vital source of jobs, exports and national self-reliance, our manufacturing sector is now a hollow shell of what it used to be.

Older Australians have paid their taxes, fought in wars, raised generations, built and run businesses, farmed our lands and pushed this country forward. They’ve contributed for decades, and now that it is their turn to be looked after, the current Labor government has abandoned them.

The latest round of the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program is a major disappointment for the Dawson electorate, with the Albanese Labor Government failing to provide meaningful investment in one of Australia’s largest and most critical regional highways.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, says Labor’s humiliating reversal on forcing regional communities onto slower, lower-quality roads confirms what locals have been saying for months: the policy was unworkable, unsafe, and designed to shift costs away from Canberra and onto the bush.

Federal Member for Dawson and Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability Andrew Willcox says the Coalition’s decision to abandon Labor’s net-zero target is a victory for common sense, cost-of-living relief and Australian industry.

Mr Willcox said the Coalition reached a principled position “the right way, through consultation, evidence and respect, not ideology, slogans or political theatre.”

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, has announced 12-year-old Emma Vella from the Mackay region as the winner of his annual Christmas Card Competition.

This year’s theme, “My Favourite Thing About Living in Dawson,” invited children aged 12 and under to celebrate the people, places, and spirit that make the region special.

Federal Member for Dawson and Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability, Andrew Willcox, says Labor’s plan to drop regional speed limits leaves regional Australia stuck in the slow lane.

The ‘roadblock to regional progress’ proposal would reduce the default speed limit on unsigned roads outside of built-up areas, which is currently 100 km/h, down to as low as 70 km/h.

Six months into a second Albanese term, the biggest illusion of all is being exposed. Net Zero at all costs, supposedly for the good of the planet, has not been working out so well for our country.

Yesterday at the National Press Club, The National Party of Australia drew a line in the sand, declaring it will no longer support Labor’s reckless Net Zero target by 2050, calling it unaffordable, unachievable, and unsustainable for Australia’s economic and industrial future.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, has raised serious concerns regarding the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BOM) new website, following overwhelming feedback from constituents, local farmers, and weather professionals.

The Albanese Government’s $2 billion Green Aluminium Production Credit misses the mark, throwing taxpayer money at a problem it helped create. Soaring energy costs and unreliable power are the real threats to Australia’s aluminium industry — yet Labor blocked a Senate inquiry that could have addressed these challenges. The Coalition believes in supporting manufacturing with reliable energy and smart policies, not costly handouts.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, is calling on the region’s youngest artists to take part in a special Christmas Card Competition celebrating what makes life in Dawson so special.

Children aged 12 years and under, living in the Dawson electorate, are invited to submit a drawing or painting that shows “My Favourite Thing About Living in Dawson” — capturing what home means to them, especially at Christmas time.

Member for Dawson and Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability, Mr Andrew Willcox MP, said farmers across Dawson have had an enormous win after Labor retreated on its poorly conceived, reckless, and cruel plan to tax unrealised gains on farms held in self-managed super funds (SMSFs).

China is, without question, one of Australia’s most significant trading partners. We export vast amounts of natural resources and agricultural products, and in return, we import vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, various technological products, and household goods. But is this relationship balanced, and are we becoming too dependent?

The Albanese Labor Government has chosen to launch another corporate bailout because of the disastrous impact of their reckless energy policies.

The intervention to save the copper smelter follows other recent federal government interventions in Whyalla, Hobart and Port Pirie, with yet more costly bailouts expected in the short term.

Glencore has consistently pointed to Labor’s failed energy policies for collapsing Australian competitiveness.

Coal has powered Australia for generations, and it still does today. Coal is the central reason the lights turn on, the fridge stays cold, and the air con works. Coal remains the cheapest form of electricity in Australia, and without it, our country would be vastly different, in a poorer way.

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox MP has renewed calls for urgent action to fix the Bruce Highway, calling it a “national disgrace” and accusing the Albanese Labor Government of playing politics with lives. Despite promising $7.2 billion in upgrades, Labor has already cut $488 million from its own budget, with Senate estimates confirming just $432 million allocated over three years.

Mr Willcox said Dawson cannot wait until 2028 for action, with the stretch from Mackay to Townsville identified as the deadliest on the Bruce. “Forty-three lives were lost in 2024 — that’s families torn apart. Dawson deserves better than excuses. The Bruce Highway must be made safer, and I’ll keep fighting until it is.”

The sky is falling. We’re all going to drown. And if we don’t, we’ll die of heatstroke. That’s the kind of doomsday rhetoric being pushed by Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen and the Albanese government. Why? Because Labor believes fear keeps them in power and they want every voter to be scared…

Labor’s anti-mining regulations, combined with crippling coal royalty rates are forcing job losses and impacting support industries in regional communities, sparking calls for an urgent review.

No – this headline is not the start of a joke. It is a very serious topic that needs more attention. In 1902, Australia became the first country in the world to allow women both the right to vote and to stand for representation in National Parliament.

More than three years in government, and Labor still doesn’t have any real plans to positively grow the economy. Last week, a hand picked group of government, union, business and industry figures gathered for a three day economic forum to supposedly chart a course for Australia's economic future.

Immigration is important. Our country has been built on it. We would not be the Australia we are today without people choosing to set up their lives here. But we have to be honest. Immigration needs to be properly managed. Right now, I have major concerns. Major concerns with how the current government has been managing our immigration.

The students of Mackay West State School had the honour of hosting a momentous occasion this week, as an official Australian Flag, previously flown over Parliament House in Canberra, was brought to the school by the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Milton Dick, as part of the Parliament in Schools program and National Flag Roadshow.

The Australian flag is not just a piece of fabric. It is the enduring symbol of who we are. It represents our shared history, our sacrifices, and the freedoms earned through generations of courage and service. As the federal member for Dawson, one of my favourite tasks is presenting an upstanding community member with an Australian flag.

We need homes for every Australian. We need a housing policy that creates environments where everyone can find their own way into the housing market, and stay there. We need an actual housing policy that is more than writing a few cheques or throwing around big numbers with dollar signs.

Thousands of Australians including Dawson locals, many older or approaching retirement, are reeling in the wake of the collapse of First Guardian and Shield managed investment schemes, leaving them with little to no retirement savings after losing millions of dollars in managed funds.

This week was the first sitting of Federal Parliament since the May election. As the Federal Member for Dawson, I’ve been in Canberra raising the concerns of our region. Thank you to everyone who shares their stories. Your experiences shape the fight I take to Canberra.

The Albanese Labor Government has used its numbers in Parliament to block a proposed Senate Inquiry into the health and future of Australia’s metals manufacturing industry, without providing any explanation for the decision

Australia is blessed with abundant resources — coal, uranium, sunshine, wind, and water. We should have the world’s cheapest and most reliable power in the world. Instead, electricity bills are soaring, reliability is falling, and households are feeling the squeeze. The gap between what we are paying for power and what we should be paying, keeps growing.