Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, earlier today it was a great honour to join Gabi Hollows, many of our parliamentary colleagues and other distinguished guests, to celebrate 20 years of the Fred Hollows Foundation. I can see Gabi and so many of the supporters and members of the Hollows family in the gallery, watching as we speak about this matter today. I was joined by the Leader of the Opposition and far too many members of the House of Representatives and Senate to name them individually.

We were all there because the Fred Hollows Foundation, by any measure, is a remarkable organisation—restoring vision to millions around the world but also teaching people in developing countries to undertake cataract surgery and manufacture eye lenses for themselves. Empowerment, not dependency, is where the Fred Hollows Foundation takes people.

The foundation embodies the compassion and vision of a very great Australian: the late Fred Hollows. Ray Martin described him as 'a man who believed only in solutions, not obstacles; a bloke who never took no for an answer'. When it was clear his incredible life was about to end, he refused to accept that the good work had to end. So Fred left us with one last act of wisdom—and that was to set up his foundation. Today the foundation marks two decades of work, beautifully recorded in a commemorative book called In Fred's Footsteps which has on the front the very famous photograph of Fred assisting a small boy in front of a crowd. The photographer of that iconic image is in the gallery with us today as well.

The book, the image—all of it—shows how the good work has continued, saving sight and changing lives forever. This is a moment for this House to join together and to say congratulations to the Fred Hollows Foundation on 20 years of achievement. With his no-nonsense outlook and rough humility, Fred wouldn't have said much if he could see us here today, but in his heart I think he would have been quietly proud—and so are we. More than anything else, we are very thankful.

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