Page 692 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 2010

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Adjournment

Motion (by Mr Corbell) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

St Anthony’s primary school

MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (9.10): I would like to talk briefly about St Anthony’s primary school which I had the opportunity to visit last week to speak to year 6 students about politics and leadership. I think it was a fantastic opportunity to relate to the year 6s at St Anthony’s. St Anthony’s is a fantastic local Catholic school which does a sensational job for its community. St Anthony’s is the parish that I grew up in. Whilst we had started off in Kambah and I went to St Thomas the Apostle down the road and did not attend St Anthony’s, it is a school that I have very close connections with. My siblings attended St Anthony’s. I also attended Padua Catholic high school, which is the sister school of St Anthony’s up the road in Wanniassa.

The children I had the opportunity to speak to were a wonderful group of kids. They were very interested and had a lot to say about their views on politics, leadership and life. I was particularly impressed with a group that I got to speak to afterwards, separately, which was the parliamentarians from year 6 at St Anthony’s. They were a very intelligent and engaged bunch. They were very polite and fun to be around.

I want to thank, in particular, Jamie Kemp, the coordinator, who invited me to go and speak. Jamie does a sensational job, as do all the teachers at St Anthony’s Catholic primary school. I would like to put on the record my appreciation for the opportunity and to say how impressed I was with all of the children, teachers and staff that I dealt with. I thank them for the opportunity. I want to put on the record what a wonderful school community St Anthony’s Catholic primary school in Wanniassa is.

Our Wellness Foundation—fundraiser

Mr Orlando Zapata Tamayo—death

MR COE (Ginninderra) (9.13): On Sunday I was very pleased to attend the inaugural Our Wellness Foundation paper plane competition fundraiser. The fundraiser raised money for the paediatric unit of the Canberra Hospital. I was pleased to be able to be at the fundraiser with my aeronautical engineering colleagues Brendan Smyth, Steve Doszpot and Meredith Hunter.

I would like to acknowledge Herb McEachin, a member of the NBL Hall of Fame; John de la Torre, chairman of the Wellness Foundation; Lana Bruton, owner of Fernwood at Tuggeranong; Tad Dufelmeier; Steve Simpson, director of nursing, paediatrics, Canberra Hospital; and Cam Sullings, from Mix 106.3, who also competed. Cal Bruton, also a member of the NBL Hall of Fame, hosted the competition.


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