Paul Makin

Journalist

He’s the tough talking no nonsense call a spade a shovel local Federal Member, who’s giving it another shot at the May 21st election. He says he’s put off retirement to finish important projects he’s already started.

He’s big in stature and so is his electorate, which stretches from Mareeba in the south to almost New Guinea in the north and a part of that massive land mass is the Douglas Shire.

So, what will the re-election of Warren Entsch mean to us. I managed to drag him away from the hustings for a chat.

Paul: Warren Entsch welcome to Newsport

Warren: Good to be with you Paul

Paul: How will the Douglas Shire benefit from you being re-elected for the Seat of Leichhardt?

Warren: Well, I’ve always been committed to the Douglas Shire over many years. I suppose one of the biggest things I’ve been able to do is secure the future of the Mossman Mill, on two occasions, but more recently when MacKay Sugar planned to close the mill signalling the end of the Mossman Mill as we know it, and along with it, the 560 local jobs. I was able to get a $20 million commitment from the Federal Government to get it back in local hands. Along with a healthy sum from the Douglas Shire Council, the mill is prospering and working towards a Bio Precinct which is ongoing. Of course, another big one is the Solar Hydrogen Micro Grid for the whole of the Daintree Community. Many people thought I couldn’t pull that one off but it’s now a goer and I want to be there to switch the lights on at Cape Tribulation in April 2024. Also, the water supply I delivered for the Shire and $5 million dollars for the water park in Port Douglas, plus I was able to make the $10 billion reinsurance pool to ease cost of living pressures for Far North Queenslanders a reality, after legislation to establish the reinsurance pool for cyclone and related flood damage passed parliament. This will help property owners, particularly those involved with strata. So, as you can see, I work hard to deliver for the Douglas Shire and if I’m fortunate enough to be re-elected, that will continue, because there’s more to be done.

Paul: How often do get to visit the Douglas Shire?

Warren: A lot, even now if I get a short break, I’ll shoot up to Port Douglas for some R and R. In my younger days I stayed in caravan parks in Port long before Christopher Skase arrived in town. I’ve also spent time in the Mossman and Newell Beach area. In fact, my father was a railway worker in Mareeba and the rail union owned a cottage at Newell Beach. As kids, the four of us used to look forward to going down there for a week or so but on the ride down Rex Range sitting in the back of an old Ute with a canopy on the back, we were as sick as dogs because of the fumes coming up from the exhaust, but it was worth it for the destination. Of course, I have a particular affinity with people north of the river. I think that goes back to the days when I was the Cattlemen’s Union Chair in Cape York, and we were battling against bureaucracy and of course the same nonsense has happened in the Daintree, so I’ve worked closely with the community there on a range of issues to bring fairness to the table.

Paul: How do you see the future of tourism in our Shire?

Warren: The future for tourism looks bright and with the beautiful destinations, many of them out of Port Douglas, we are high on the tourist ‘must do’ list and a lot of good work in attracting people back to the area came out of my office. I certainly don’t take any credit for Jobkeeper or Jobseeker, that came from Canberra, but it saved thousands of businesses and even more jobs for the period it was in place. What did come out of my office was looking after tourist attractions in the Douglas Shire like Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures and Wildlife Habitat. Creatures needed to be fed and looked after, because no one was coming through the doors of those places, so we were able to get funds to help. My reward for that was getting a wombat named after me at Hartley’s, Warren the Wombat, that’s kind of cool, isn’t it?

Paul: Mr Entsch if someone else won your seat what would that mean to us in the Shire?

Warren: Well, it’s hard to say and you don’t know who’s going to get in but the main reason I made the conscience decision to run again was the fact that we’ve had so many things thrown at us over the last 3 years, including a global pandemic which is still with us and we also have a war in Europe that has serious ramifications for all of us so we’ve done it tough. This is not the time to get someone in the seat with an ‘L’ plate on their back, sitting at this desk. It’s going to take a couple of years for them to fully understand how the process works. I mean there is no school for it, they might know the rules of their party and the union but the actual operation of the electorate and how things are done, they simply won’t know. I believe I owe the people of Leichhardt another term. In recent years I’ve knocked back a portfolio as a Minister because I’d be bound by cabinet solidarity and it’s much easier for me to be a free ranger with the respect of the community as well as both sides of politics, so I think I’m the best person to navigate us through this next three years.

Paul: Last question, the Prime Minister is fighting a huge battle to have his team re-elected, so if Warren Entsch IS re-elected and it’s an Albanese Government, how will that work?

Warren: Same as it did with a Warren Entsch re-elected and a Kevin Rudd Government. I mean I don’t judge people based on their politics, I judge them on their character. Just because you’re on one side and they’re on the other doesn’t mean they’re all enemies, a lot of them are decent people and Albanese and I came into Parliament at the same time in 1996, so we have that in common. I don’t agree with his polices but as a person we get on fine and I have a good relationship with his shadow portfolio people on the other side, so it’s fine. I desperately hope Albanese doesn’t win because there’s still a lot of things I want to do, and it makes it easier if you’re a member of the Government but having said that, if that’s not to be, then I have no problem at all continuing to work with them and be successful.

Paul: Warren Entsch thank you for your time.

Warren: Pleasure Paul.