Australia has officially secured the gold medal that nobody wanted, our nation now leads the major advanced economies in headline inflation while local families pay the price at the checkout.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has today slammed the Albanese Labor Government after ABS data confirmed a staggering jump in headline inflation to 4.6 per cent; this leaves Australia with a rate 1.3 percentage points higher than our closest peers in the United States and United Kingdom.

The Coalition will more than double Australia’s minimum fuel reserves to 60 days and deliver at least 1 billion litres of new storage through an $800 million Australian Fuel Security Facility, building long-term resilience against future supply shocks in Dawson.

OPINION

Australia has everything we need right here at home. We have the resources, the technologies, and the people with the talent. Yet our manufacturing sector and sovereign capability have fallen off a cliff; farmers are being left out in the cold; and Australians across the country, particularly in the regions, are being left behind, while we all pay more for everything.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has officially announced a Manufacturing Roadshow to be held in Mackay on 30 April 2026. This initiative is designed to connect local manufacturing businesses directly with the decision-makers in Canberra, ensuring that the voices of regional Queensland are at the forefront of national policy. As the industrial engine room of the state, the Mackay region plays a critical role in bolstering Australia’s sovereign capability and economic resilience.

Living in Australia is a hard-won privilege; however, under the Albanese Labor Government, the migration system has been left in a state of chaos where numbers are too high and standards are far too low. The Coalition is drawing a line in the sand with the launch of the Australian Values Migration Plan: a decisive package designed to ensure that those seeking to call our nation home actually share the values, laws, and freedoms that make Australia great.

SHOCKING new data has revealed the impact the Albanese Labor Government’s disastrous energy policies are having on local families.

According to the Australian Energy Regulator, 37,122 households in Queensland were unable to pay their power bills over the period of October to December 2025.

A NURSE in line waiting for a food parcel, a renal patient looking at an empty driveway, a rescue helicopter calculating the cost of every minute in the air. This is the human face of a national catastrophe currently unfolding across the Dawson electorate, as a brutal fuel cost crisis pushes some essential organisations to the edge of collapse.

Following a series of urgent conversations with frontline organisations, Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has written to the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, seeking immediate emergency relief funding to prevent a total breakdown of regional services.

The Coalition will strongly oppose any move by the Albanese Government to increase the size of the Australian Parliament; warning it would come at significant cost to taxpayers at a time Australians are already under severe financial pressure.

FEDERAL Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has welcomed the Government’s decision to halve the fuel excise for three months; a move he describes as a hard-won victory for the Australian people and a direct result of the Coalition’s relentless pursuit of a "fair go" for motorists.

North Queensland is approaching an economic standstill as a national fuel shortage leaves more than 500 service stations empty, exposing a systemic failure in national security that only an immediate tax cut can resolve.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, is championing the Coalition’s fully funded plan to provide immediate relief by halving the fuel excise for three months.

Federal Member for Dawson and Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability, Andrew Willcox MP, today called on residents across the region to report fuel shortages using a new website: www.nofuelhere.com.au.

As communities throughout North Queensland feel the sting of the national fuel crisis, Mr Willcox is seeking hard evidence to take to the floor of Parliament.

It is clear that the Albanese government’s wind and solar-only approach is not working out too well for Australia. In four years under Labor, electricity prices have not fallen by $275 per annum as promised, but have instead risen by almost 40 per cent.

While the sun and wind are free, the cost to build the infrastructure and transmit the power is anything but.

FEDERAL Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, has welcomed the election of Senator the Hon Matt Canavan as Leader of The Nationals, asserting that the new leadership team will deliver the straight talk and fiscal discipline Australians are crying out for.

Mr Willcox said he is pleased to see a fellow Queenslander at the helm who shares his passion for regional Australia.

In the city, a spike in fuel prices is a frustration; a reason to grumble at the dinner table or perhaps cancel a weekend drive. But in the regions, and specifically here in Dawson, fuel isn't a luxury or a lifestyle choice. It is the lifeblood of our economy.

Right now, that lifeblood is under threat, and it’s time we had a serious conversation about what is happening. We are currently facing global volatility, domestic supply rationing, and a federal government that seems content to watch from the sidelines, while our primary producers are pushed to the brink.

Labor promised their solar and wind-only strategy would lower household power bills by $275. Four years on, what has happened to those bills? People are hurting, yet the government continues to peddle the fantasy: “Stick with the solar and wind-only plan and it will all turn around.”

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, is calling for community organisations to lace up their boots and prepare for the 2025-26 Volunteer Grants. With expressions of interest now open, Andrew is looking to support the local legends who keep our region in the winning circle.

The industrial engine room of North Queensland has secured a direct line to the heart of the Opposition’s economic strategy following the re-appointment of Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, to the Shadow Ministry.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has welcomed the decision to re-form the Coalition between the Liberal and National parties, describing it as a vital step in providing Australia with the strong, credible opposition it deserves.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, has warned that North Queensland families are being pushed to a financial breaking point following the decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise interest rates to 3.85 per cent. The 25-basis-point hike is the first in over two years and signals a deepening cost-of-living crisis that is being directly fuelled by the Albanese Government’s inability to control its own spending.

Over the past few days, I’ve heard from many people across Dawson who are understandably confused by headlines stating resignations, splits, and political turmoil in Canberra. Some have even asked whether I’ve resigned as your local member.

Let me be very clear at the outset: I have not resigned.

Following the recent recall of Parliament and the passage of the Government’s hate speech laws in January 2026, Andrew Willcox MP, Member for Dawson, is calling for urgent action to criminalise the burning and desecration of the Australian flag.

“We do our best as a nation when we stand together under one flag. I will continue to fight for legislation that ensures our national symbol is respected and safeguarded for generations to come.”

After strong public support, Mr Willcox has launched an online petition on his website to criminalise the desecration of the Australian flag.

The Australia Day 2026 Honours List proudly recognises the exceptional service, leadership and commitment to community that exists across the Dawson electorate. This year, Dawson is represented by one outstanding local honoured for distinguished service to the nation, while the Honours List also celebrates former Mackay local and Australian sporting icon Cathy Freeman for her extraordinary contribution to sport, reconciliation and national life.

This evening, I presented my letter of resignation as Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability, to Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

This follows a decision by the Nationals Party Room yesterday to not support the Government’s rushed Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026.

A copy of this letter is below.:

Australia Day is not just a date on the calendar. It is a moment to pause, to reflect, and to reconnect with what it truly means to be Australian. It is a day that speaks to our shared story, our values, and our responsibility to one another as a nation.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, has highlighted the real and growing cost of electricity for regional Australians, following a visit to Balnagowan cane farmer Peter Doyle on his property near Mackay.

Despite doing everything expected of him, investing in solar panels, actively seeking the best available tariffs, and carefully managing irrigation schedules to reduce usage, Mr Doyle says his effective electricity costs have doubled in recent years.

Every life is a story of achievements, love, and resilience, and some moments deserve to be celebrated in a way that lasts a lifetime. From 100th birthdays to 70th wedding anniversaries, these milestones are testaments to dedication, commitment, and the remarkable journey of a lifetime.

Do you know someone in Dawson approaching a milestone? Now is the perfect time to honour them with a truly special gesture, an official congratulatory message from His Majesty the King, the Governor-General, or the Prime Minister of Australia.

It’s been another wet and wild start to the year. Across North Queensland, there are manyanxious people asking familiar questions: will the roads flood, how many cyclones will we face, and will there be food on the shelves?

When Ann Barry stepped off the S.S. Iberia in April 1964, she carried little more than a single chest of possessions and a heart full of courage. At just 20 years old, she had left her birthplace, Brynithel, South Wales, behind, embarking on a month-long voyage to begin a new life in Australia.

That leap of faith, born of her parents' dream to move to Australia, became the foundation for an extraordinary life, one that has now been crowned by Ann finally achieving Australian citizenship at the age of 82.

Next week will mark one month since 15 innocent Australians lost their lives at one of our nation’s most iconic spots. Bondi will now forever be synonymous with the worst terror attack on Australian soil. It devastated families, shattered communities, and scarred a nation. It should never have happened.

Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, is proud to announce that 44 outstanding young athletes from across the Dawson electorate have been successful recipients of the Australian Government’s Local Sporting Champions program.