Meet Sam
Like most people on the Gold Coast, I was not born here. I chose to live here. I came to the city because of the lifestyle and opportunity it has to offer. I am a proud son of Ipswich where my family have made a profound contribution to the community.
I grew up around my family’s business, RT Edwards & Sons—a Queensland icon. Some of my earliest memories are of following him around the sales floor. I learnt a lot from how he interacted with customers. He would always give them his time and make them feel genuinely valued.
My parents sacrificed a lot for my education. In high school, I found my gift for academia and my distinct lack of talent in the sporting arena. Since then, I have firmly found my place as a keen spectator and you will often see me at Gold Coast Suns games.
I went on to the University of Queensland to study biomedical science and political science. Anyone who has undertaken an arts degree has copped jokes at its expense, so I hope that my presence in this parliament is proof it has some value. I started work, as many university students do, in pubs and bars. I stayed in this industry for seven years, ending with the Labrador AFL Sports Club. In fact, my only job during my first campaign was behind the bar at that local footy club.
I spent most of my childhood holidaying at Biggera Waters. When I saw an opportunity come up to work in the federal member for Fadden’s office, I jumped at it.
I built my communications skills under Mr Robert’s leadership and he showed me that politics is an outlet for a desire to serve. Soon after, I joined the Liberal National Party. Its values align with my own. I have a strong family connection to the cause because my great-uncle is Sir Llew Edwards, a former member for Ipswich and Deputy Premier.
My Plan for our area
We all love living in this part of the Gold Coast but we need so much more from our state government.
For years I’ve been fighting for more police resources. I am sick of hearing stories of people who feel unsafe in their homes and on their streets. We need more police, and the right laws backing them up.
We have some amazing schools in our area, but they are let down by facilities that could be so much better. More often than not, classrooms are demountables’ that were brought in on the back of trucks decades ago. We need the best possible learning environment for our kids and I’ll keep fighting to deliver that.
Our area needs jobs, jobs, jobs. We had the highest unemployment rate on the Gold Coast before COVID-19 hit and its got far worse since.
That includes areas like the Health and Knowledge Precinct which needs investment to truly realise its potential; have a read of my speech in parliament about it here.
We’re lucky to have easy access to the light and heavy rail in our area. I want more people to be able to use it. A big part of that is being able to get a car park when you go to a transport hub like Helensvale.
Yet, sometimes you can only get to where you’re going by jumping in the car. That’s why we need to bust congestion. Whether it’s an intersection that takes 2-3 light changes to get through, or the bigger picture for our city for an alternate route to the M1. We need that second M1, because at the moment you have to jump on a national highway to drive between our suburbs. That’s not good enough for a city as large as the Gold Coast, we need an alternate route. Read my speech in parliament about how Labor has failed at planning our second M1 here.
As well as being the Member for Bonney, I am she Shadow Minister for the Environment. I am passionate about the environment and we need to be doing more to protect it. Our Broadwater is a great example of how we need more laws in place to protect its biodiversity. Our Waterways Authority needs the authority to step in when needed and it needs better resources to properly manage this amazing asset that we all love living near.
These are the things I’ll keep fighting for. It’s been a privilege to be the Member for Bonney for the last 4 years and I hope to continue to serve you for years to come.
