Federal Member for Groom
Working in Parliament ...
My job is two pronged - I am the Federal Member for Groom but I'm also the Shadow Minister for Trade.
As a local member, my job is to represent my constituents, the people of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. Many people call my office or come to visit me about a range of issues, covering family concerns, roads, health, aged care, telecommunications, farming, education, employment, immigration and more. It's my role to assist people where I can and represent their concerns to my colleagues in Canberra.
I also work to secure funding for this region, be it for more aged care places, drought relief and regional assistance programs, roads or better health care services.
I live in Toowoomba and the electorate I represent is called Groom. It is mostly rural with lots of grain growers, cattle producers and other agricultural businesses.
Becoming a politician wasn't a lifelong ambition and I grew up thinking I would be a farmer. I studied to become an engineer at university then went back to the farm to grow wheat and peanuts. Before being elected in 1998, I worked on the opposite side of politics as a lobbyist for grain growers around Australia. That means I spent a lot of time trying to talk politicians into listening to the problems and opinions of farmers.
I got tired of just talking to politicians and decided to become one. That way I could make sure people who live in rural and regional Australia, like Toowoomba, have someone who knows their problems speaking up for them in Parliament. 
If you want to know more about how the Government works, visit these websites: