Former and current political figures awarded Queen's Birthday honours

One of primary industries' great champions in the Senate was Ron Boswell, who has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to federal parliament, to the people of Queensland, and to fisheries research and development.

A Queensland Senator for 31 years between 1983 and 2014, and the leader of the Nationals in the Senate from 1990-2007, Mr Boswell served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services during the years 1999-2003 and took part in various Senate and joint standing and select committees.

He said the AO honour was the icing on a career of advocating for primary industries in the political arena that he had really enjoyed.

"Primary industries is always under attack, you've got to keep grinding away," he said.

"Some of the issues I was most satisfied with were some that didn't receive as much attention, such as the Trade Practices Act that said you can't lessen competition, at a time when abattoirs were buying others up and taking the competition out of the market.

"Then the kangaroo industry was always being slammed in the Senate - I had a lot of battles about that.

"Keeping the carbon tax out of electricity prices was another issue I ran hard on."

One of Mr Boswell's best-known battles was one of his last in the Senate, to counter the activities of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, a creation of the World Wildlife Fund, in which he argued against a loss of Australian sovereignty.

He paid credit to the banana industry for its smart lobby, which he said sharpened his work, and recalled other struggles in keeping commercial fisheries interests from being swamped by regulation.

Chairing the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation is his latest interest, which he said meant working largely on biosecurity threats such as carp and disease.

"I don't like not doing anything," he said.

A recognisable face from his days as Queensland's opposition leader, Lawrence Springborg became a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the Queensland parliament and to the community of the Southern Downs.

Based at Yelarbon, Mr Springborg's electorate was variously named Carnavon, Warwick and Southern Downs over his own 31-year parliamentary career, where he undertook ministerial duties twice, as the Minister for Natural Resources in 1998 in the Borbidge government, and as Health Minister from 2012-2015 in the Newman government.

He became the Goondiwindi Regional Council mayor this year.

He said his greatest reward was to have the confidence of the people he represented.

"Over the years the issues have always been similar - regional people are used to being very self-reliant," he said.

"They want government to be an enabler, not a stifler.

"Now as a mayor, I concentrate on the things I'm responsible for and being an advocate on the community's behalf in the areas you don't control.

"My greatest reward is to be the servant leader in the community your family has been in for five generations.

"You've got to be in lockstep with their values."

Mr Springborg is a life member of both the Young National Party Australia and the Liberal National Party of Australia.

Also becoming a Member of the Order of Australia was former federal MP Bruce Scott, who served as the Member for Maranoa from 1990 to 2016.

Originating from Roma, Mr Scott saw service as the parliamentary deputy speaker, as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and as the Minister assisting the Minister for Defence.

He said it was his passion for rural Australia that drove him on, which had been rewarded with great friendships and knowledge of stories of how his work had helped people.

"Rural Australia has always had a lot to give, it's where we derive our identity and gives us our sense of humour," he said.

He predicted that the agricultural sector, Australia's largest single employer, would have a significant impact on how Australia recovered from the coronavirus pandemic, given that it was spread the length and breadth of Australia.

He volunteered plenty of his time before politics, with the Australian and Queensland Associations of Stud Merino Breeders, the Roma Show Society, the Muckadilla Pony Club, and the Maranoa Graziers Association.

Since retiring from politics Mr Scott has given his time as a director of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, as a board member of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, as the inaugural chairman of SQ Landscapes NRM group, and as co-chair of the Telstra Regional Advisory Board.

"All the things I did were with great support from wonderful people, especially my wife Joan, around me - this honour is recognition for them too," he said.

Another leader who has experienced life as both a state and local government leader is Tom Gilmore, who received a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2020 honours list.

Mr Gilmore was the Member for Tablelands between 1986 and 1998 and the Minister for Mines and Energy in the Borbidge government, as well as twice being the Mareeba Shire mayor and the mayor of the amalgamated Tablelands Regional Council.

He stepped down as Mareeba's mayor at the 2020 local government elections.

Not wanting to hog any limelight, Mr Gilmore did say the opportunity to advance the cause of others was what had been rewarding for him.

"I hope I've been able to contribute meaningfully, and I hope I leave behind a culture of advancement of community opportunity and a broadening of the economic base," he said. "I wanted local government to be friendly to the people it served."

He added that he had never been a one-man band and that Monday's recognition was also for all the people he had worked with and the things they'd done together.

John 'Tractor' Ferguson, who is still serving as mayor in his part of the world, the Bulloo shire in south west Queensland, is also a recipient of an OAM in the Queen's Birthday honours.

He became a councillor in 2000 and took on the mayoral position in 2004.

Cr Ferguson is also well-known as a bee-keeper and is a supplier for Hive and Wellness Australia (formerly Capilano Honey) since 1997.