Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

This September will mark five years since the establishment of the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health. The centre is based at the University of Adelaide and focuses on education and research into men's health issues. The centre aims to take a cross-disciplinary approach to research and policymaking, bringing together experts from different fields to encourage collaboration in the interests of men's health. Despite only having been operational for a short time, the centre has a proud record of contribution to men's health education and research. The centre has also been highly effective in raising awareness of men's health in recruiting community leaders to speak out on men's health issues. The centre has established a board of patrons drawn from business, politics and sporting leaders. I am proud to have served on this board for most of the lifetime of the centre. It has been a privilege to serve under the leadership of Sir Eric Neal, principal patron and chair and former Governor of South Australia. I would also like to pay tribute to Professor Villis Marshall, who recently announced he would be stepping down as a director of the centre. Professor Marshall has provided great leadership in his role as director. His contribution to the success of the centre cannot be overstated. I am proud to be associated with the centre and I hope they will soon add to their achievements of raising $15 million in external funding, publishing more than 100 peer reviewed papers on men's health and administering a number of community health programs, including the highly successful GIRTH program, a community based healthy-living program for men, aimed at improving cardiovascular health.

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