Page 4640 - Week 12 - Thursday, 15 October 2009
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The CEO of Save the Children Australia, Suzanne Dvorak, and Professor Hillary Charlesworth from the Centre for International Governance and Justice at the ANU, also spoke.
The Canberra Council of Save the Children is doing wonderful work in our community and I encourage all members of the Assembly and the Canberra community to support their good work.
Ride to Work Day
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (6.15): Yesterday was Ride to Work Day. Ride to Work Day had three features in Canberra. The most important one was that it did not actually rain on us, which, given the weather yesterday, was a major achievement. The second one was a very nice breakfast in Glebe Park, as well as breakfast at the ABC and in Belconnen, in Bruce. The one in Glebe Park was certainly attended by a few hundred people. The third feature was a ride, organised by Pedal Power, around the city loop. Mr Speaker, you, Mr Coe, Mr Corbell and I took part in that. It was really good to show us, as members of the Assembly, one of the things that Pedal Power would like to see happen in our city, which would be something that would not cost very much but which would make cycling a lot safer in the city. It would also make it a lot nicer for pedestrians in Civic because I must say that one of the things I have received complaints about is cyclists and pedestrians in City Walk.
Pedal Power has got a plan for a city loop. It would be about a three-kilometre ride which goes around the city and would enable anyone to easily ride around the city without fear of being run over and also without the possibility of them running over pedestrians. So it was a great day, despite the weather, and I sincerely hope that the government takes on board Pedal Power’s city loop plan.
Anti-Poverty Week
ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (6.17): This is Anti-Poverty Week in Australia and members have, in various ways, reflected on poverty in Canberra and the way that we can make a contribution to alleviating it.
From my recent experiences in Tanzania, I would like to pay tribute to two Australians who make their own personal heroic contributions to addressing poverty in that country. As a delegate to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meetings in Arusha, I note that the delegates were serenaded, on a number of occasions, by the students of St Jude’s school in Arusha. Some delegates, and mainly the spouses of those attending the main conference, had an opportunity to visit one of the campuses of St Jude’s school.
St Jude’s school is basically the single-handed initiative of an enterprising Queensland lady, Gemma Sisia, who went to Tanzania as a volunteer and has—as, it seems, many people do—fallen in love with Tanzania and made an outstanding commitment to relieving poverty through education. Gemma now runs the marvellous St Jude’s school which now provides free residential education for nearly 1,000 young
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