Warren Entsch retires leaving lasting Northern legacy
Our firebrand Leichhardt MP is calling it quits after 26 years of serving the people of the North. What he achieved and why his mum’s prompting to ‘get a government job’ turned out to be the best advice.
Cairns
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Growing up Warren Entsch was told by his mother to get a government job.
But he had no idea at the time taking that advice would lead to the serving the people of the north for 26 years as the federal member.
For the first time in his life following the prorogation of the federal parliament last week the only Liberal candidate to ever be elected in Leichhardt is officially unemployed.
From humble beginnings as railway porter for Queensland Rail in Mareeba where one of his duties was cleaning toilets, the firebrand member has stepped down undefeated as the Leichhardt MP.
He leaves a remarkable legacy between 1996 and 2024 – excluding three years between 2007 and 2010 — when he stepped down to fulfil a promise to his youngest son, Jake.
“I got a phone call from his mother in 2006 when he turned 13, and she said to me, ‘are you ready to be a full time dad?” he said.
“I made a promise to him and he never forgot it.”
During a period of rare political longevity Mr Entsch rattled off a list of achievements including the celebrated victory to legalise same-sex marriage in 2017.
An unlikely champion of the marriage equality bill, described by the Sunday Mail as a fiercely heterosexual, croc shooting, bull catching, Crocodile Dundee of the federal parliament, Mr Entsch told the Cairns Post he advocated for the change because he believed the law to be unfair.
“To this day, I refuse to confirm sexuality, because I’ve always found that when they start confirming sexuality, people pigeonhole you,” he said.
“Christopher Pyne asked me, ‘Entschy, why do you do it’? and I said ‘why would we make life any more more difficult for people like this and than it already is?’”
Other achievements include supporting gun reform in following the Port Arthur massacre, securing funding for the Cairns Esplanade boardwalk, the backing of dental, vet and medical training in Cairns and Townsville, broking a deal to secure CBD land for James Cook University’s tertiary health precinct and a payout deal Great Barrier Reef fishers whose business was destroyed by introduction of no take zones.
The succeeding in a years-long fight to have war service of the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion recognised through the awarding of the Pacific Star was a proud moment for the retiring MP.
Acknowledged by Far North leaders for his passion, leadership, and tireless advocacy, Mr Entsch said he was moved by the response to a social media post last week that now has 430 comments and 31 shares. Deflecting the praise the veteran MP humbly praised the efforts of his staff.
“Now, I have to say that a lot of the credit I got there was not because I got out and did something, it was my staff,” he said.
“You as a federal member, you are only as good as your staff and I wouldn’t have won one term if I didn’t have bloody good staff.”
Cairns RSL Subbranch director Nathan Shingles weighed in to congratulate Mr Entsch on a “remarkable journey”.
“It has been a privilege to witness your strong representation and community-first approach, ensuring that FNQ’s voice was always heard in Canberra,” he said.
“Your legacy will continue to inspire, and I have no doubt that whatever comes next will be just as impressive, inspirational.”
Cairns GP and James Cook University medical lecturer Aileen Traves thanked Mr Entsch for support to set up doctor training in the North.
“Twenty five years since the medical school opened and this year sees us having all six years of the course training here in Cairns for the first time ever,” she said.
“Thank you for your support, and particularly for listening to local GPs.”
Elected members of local government chimed in to celebrate Mr Entsch’s career, including Deputy Mayor Brett Olds.
“What a career,” he said.
“It reminds me of Frank Sinatra’s old hit, My Way.’
“You certainly were a force and to never lose an election over all that time is a testament to the job you’ve done.
“Thank you for your efforts over the years, you’ve definitely left some big shoes to fill.”
And on behalf of the Cairns business community Eva Grabner thanked the retiring MP for all his hard work.
“Congratulations and thank you for all your hard work, dedication and loyalty to the north,” she said.
“You will be remembered as someone who cared.”
Mr Entsch did serve on various executive committees and was the deputy tourism minister for time. He said one of his biggest regrets was not accepting the fisheries minister position but could not reconcile at the time being out of the electorate for extended periods early in his career.
Despite being a backbencher Mr Entsch argued not being a minister actually helped him get things done.
“People say he’s ‘only a backbencher’, but I had far more power and influence as a backbencher than I ever would have had as a cabinet minister in so much as, all the cabinet ministers knew that I had been offered a job and I refused it, which meant that when I spoke out on something, there was no point in coming and offering me a position to try and coerce me into agreeing to change my view because they knew I would say no,” he said.
“And the reality is, because I was a backbencher, they couldn’t threaten me with anything, because the only people who could take my job off me, was my electorate, and so they had to work with me.”
Mr Entsch said he was approached to run again by Opposition leader Peter Dutton but he said it was not right to attempt to represent his constituents on matters of the digital age he had a limited understanding of.
“I don’t want to be a bloody seat warmer,” he said.
“It’s another generation that needs to step in there and that’s the reason why, that is the main reason why I cannot go again, because I don’t have the understanding needed to be able to properly do it.”
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