In her first speech to Federal Parliament, Madeleine King MP has decried the barriers to education faced by local students, and has championed the Kwinana Outer Harbour project as “game-changing” for the benefit of Rockingham and Kwinana, WA and the country.

Reflecting on her state school education, attending Safety Bay Primary School, Rockingham Beach Primary School and Safety Bay Senior High School, Ms King said it was troubling university entry levels for local young people had not changed much in 25 years.

She said government should look to remove barriers to education and not put them up.

“No good can come from governments putting barriers in the way of aspiring young people. The very idea of exorbitant fees for university degrees is one such barrier. It has a limiting effect on people,” Ms King said in her speech.

“It pre-empts the aspirations of many by causing them to think they will never get there; that they will never be able to afford it. And by constraining access, by constraining aspirations, we build the very ivory towers we’ve long sought to pull down.”

Ms King also used her speech to outline the importance of an outer harbour in Cockburn Sound for the economic development of not only Rockingham and Kwinana but for the country as a whole.

“Support for a Kwinana Outer Harbour ticks all the boxes; it will help grow the local, State and national economies; it will create long-term jobs; it will encourage innovation through the application of modern technology to port operations; and it puts people first by supporting a sustainable industrial base to underpin the flourishing communities in Brand.

“Failure to recognise this project for all that it is will ultimately mean the State and the nation misses out on this long-term beneficial and vital infrastructure.”

Ms King paid tribute to her family and the local community saying it was an honour to represent Brand in the Federal Parliament.