Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to thank and congratulate the students and staff of Plenty Valley Christian College for their outstanding work on the Make Poverty History campaign. After the students learned how much better placed we are in the world compared to others and about the hardship and the challenges that people face in other countries, they decided to stand up and take action to raise awareness and help others less fortunate than us.

A group of year 10 students, led by Jessica Exton and Asherlina Edwards, organised for the college to be involved in the worldwide stand up for poverty day. The group obtained 582 signatures on fifth birthday cards from students and staff at the college to raise awareness in our community and to bring to the Australian parliament’s attention our commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, particularly goals 3 and 4, to improve child and maternal health. This great group of students acknowledge how lucky we are in comparison to other countries and were troubled by the fact that young people around the world would die needlessly. The students wanted to help make a difference. Primary students made a donation to come out of uniform for the day to also help raise funds, and other groups in year 10 are running fundraising activities to help raise $5,000 to supply an Indian community with an urban community kit to supply fresh water and other community development strategies to improve the lives of some of the world’s poor.

I was delighted to take the bag of fifth birthday cards to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, on their behalf, and I know that federal Labor are committed to our Millennium Development Goals and assisting nations that are not as lucky as we are. Once again, I thank the students and the staff of the college for their Christian values and their dedication and commitment to those who are less fortunate than us. I am very proud of their work and their ability to look out and respond to the needs of others. Thank you, Plenty Valley Christian College.

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