Where Eagles Soar

I grew up in regional Queensland. Life in country Queensland was simple then, and it was steeped in values that ran deep - love of family, mateship, and good old-fashioned common sense. It’s those values that bound the community together like a well-worn tapestry, each thread representing a story of resilience, hard work, and mutual respect. That sense of unity was everywhere, from the local hall where people gathered for a Saturday night dance to the dusty cricket pitch where we cheered on our mates.

These values were the bedrock of our way of life, handed down through generations. They guided everything we did, from lending a hand to a struggling neighbour to organising community events that brought us closer together. It was mateship in its purest form, a living thread of beliefs that set us apart and above all, brought us together.

But over the years I’ve noticed something shift. People feel voiceless and forgotten. The traditional ideals that once made our country great are fading. Instead, the people I talk to feel that politicians in big city offices, or on plush parliamentary benches, barely listen. They are dismissive of our rights and irresponsible with our freedoms.

True blue Australian values are getting lost in the political noise. Every election brings a new set of grand promises that seem to evaporate under the blazing Queensland sun. Every term of government brings new rules and regulations to be followed. The urban party elites seem keen on telling us how to live or what to say or think. Freedom is no longer a given, it was something we must fight to keep.

I started calling myself a libertarian without really thinking about the label. Personal freedoms, choice and responsibility were part of daily life when I grew up. You earned your keep, looked after your family, and expected nothing less than the right to make your own decisions. Now, we watch politicians in crisp suits shouting over each other in parliament, casually dismissing the concerns of grass roots people and signing off on new regulations without blinking an eye. Meanwhile, every new regulation, every new piece of red tape adds to costs, chokes small businesses and decreases our productivity.

We face a serious cost of living crisis caused by a cost of government crisis. You see it in the price of petrol, the cost of groceries, and the power bills that keep climbing higher. Each time a new mandate, tax, or bureaucratic measure comes out, we pay the price.

Is this the Australia that we want, a place where independence and ambition shrink under the weight of endless compliance?

This is not my vision. The true Australian values, the ones that I know, encourage people to stand on their own two feet. The Australian values I grew up with reward hard work and foster genuine community spirit. My vision of Australia centres around individuals valuing the right to shape their own destiny, not bureaucrats moulding populations to what they desire.

Lately, a powerful image has occupied my thoughts – that Australia as a country is like a young-wedge-tailed eagle leaving the nest. I’ve seen families of wedge-tailed eagles soaring high above the Great Dividing Range, near where I live. They’re magnificent creatures, symbols of freedom and possibility, but also vulnerability.

Last week, I found a lost and injured young eagle that was wounded but still alive, calling on its community for help and trying to get back into the sky. Our country, I believe, is a lot like that young eagle – testing its independence, pushing the boundaries and going further each day. But still learning and so easily damaged.

Some people may say it’s too far gone, that Australia, like the young eagle, has lost its way. But I don’t accept that. I believe we can nurse that eagle back to health. With the right kind of care, our brand of bold, pioneering, independent spirit, Australia could fly again, stronger than ever.

But healing takes more than words. We need a shift in our priorities. We must stand as one people, under one flag, and focus on meaningful projects that make our lives better.

As a libertarian, I see our role as a spur to action, a nudge toward freedom and productivity rather than being yet another echo chamber of tired political talking points. We must reclaim the spirit of our pioneers, who relied on themselves and each other, valued their traditions and believed in smaller, more efficient government and had bigger, bolder ideals. We need to come together and be united by the same qualities that built this nation: family, mateship, common sense, and the determination to give everyone a fair go.

Looking forward, I wonder, will our children have the chance to be the next generation of pioneers? Will they grow up in a country that values self-reliance and fair play? Can we spark the imaginations of younger Australians by showing them that courage and innovation begins with the freedom of choice and personal responsibility?

That is the Australia that people want to restore - one where we are free to live, learn, dream, and to stand tall.

Regional Queensland taught me these lessons, and I believe in them more strongly than ever. Though our eagle may be injured, with steady hands and unwavering hearts, we can guide it back into the limitless sky toward a future as boundless as the land beneath our feet. That is our rich tradition. That is the libertarians’ bold ambition. And that is what we must never stop fighting for.