Page 1509 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2011

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whether they are being developed in silos or whether they are actually being developed together as a comprehensive response to many of our young people, and in this case our young people who are homeless.

When we talk about youth homelessness, all of these elements are part of our service system response. They must be linked and need to be considered to ensure we are going to have an intervention into the lives of young people that has an optimal chance of being a positive influence and that is going to actually provide the opportunities and solutions to the issues they face to ensure that they have the best chance to pursue education and training, get a job, have good health and be able to lead healthy and productive and safe lives in this community where they are able to contribute and they know that we value them. That is why it is important today to recognise Youth Homelessness Matters Day.

Australian Running Festival

MR HANSON (Molonglo) (7.06): I would like to speak this evening about the Australian Running Festival which is occurring this weekend, 9 to 10 April, in Canberra. A number of events are being conducted, including the ultra marathon, the marathon, the half marathon and the five and 10 kilometre runs. This is the relaunched Canberra marathon that ceased a couple of years ago. It is going to maintain the continuity from that event. That is good because this is Australia’s oldest city marathon, having been established in 1976.

The website for the event states that the event will be supporting over 500 charities. My congratulations and best wishes go to the race director, Fred Taylor, and all of his team. I am particularly interested in this event this weekend because I will be running in the half marathon event with Mr Tony Stubbs, who is well known to most members here. He is the chief executive of the Heart Foundation. I am doing this in my role as a Heart Foundation ambassador. I know that Ms Bresnan is a Heart Foundation ambassador, as is, I believe, Ms Burch.

The Heart Foundation is a great charity and a great organisation. There is a team that is running that includes Tony Stubbs, me and a couple of others, including people who have had heart illness previously. I would like to pay tribute to the hardworking staff and board of the Heart Foundation, in particular the President, Dr Gillian McFeat; the vice-presidents, Mr Andrew Caudle and Mr Mike Sargent AM; the honorary treasurer, Mr Rod Scott; the honorary secretary, Mr Keith Bradley AM; and the directors, Mr Richard Rolfe OAM, Mr John Kalokerinos, Dr Peter French, Professor Leonard Arnolda and Mr Richard Bialkowski.

My best wishes go to Tony Stubbs who is running. We have a wager that we are raising money on the webpage. Please feel free to support either me or Tony and contribute some money for the Heart Foundation, which is a worthy cause. The loser has to donate $50 to the winner. So that is my inspiration. I think that at this stage Tony is probably the favourite runner.


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