Mal Brough has served our nation as a soldier, a member of Parliament and as a Minister. Mal was elected to represent the Division of Longman in 1996 and served with distinction until 2007. In 2013, Mal returned to the Federal Parliament to represent the seat of Fisher.
During the Howard Government Mal served across many portfolios before his appointment to the Cabinet as Minister for Families Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs.
As a Howard Government minister Mal Brough introduced the Work for the Dole program into community organisations and introduced the Australian Defence Medal, recognising the service of more than 400,000 servicemen and women.
After his election to the seat of Fisher in 2013 he re-joined the Ministry in 2015 as Special Minister of State and Minister for Defence Materiel and Science.
As a local MP, Mal Brough has been a tireless advocate for local infrastructure and services, including the development of a small business incubator and securing Federal funding for the upgrade of the Bruce Highway.
I thank Mal for his service to the parliament and the nation. And I particularly thank and recognise the loyalty and love his wife Sue and their family have given Mal without which he could not have served in such demanding public office.
Mal has been a good friend and colleague over many years and after the election he will be missed in Canberra by all of us.
But I have no doubt that the next stage of his career will be as dynamic and committed as has been his time in politics.
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