Josh Wilson (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Queen's Birthday Honours have recognised some significant contributions from within the Fremantle electorate community. Les Lauder has been made a Member of the Order of Australia for his work to protect and enhance Fremantle's extraordinary character and built heritage. Les was a driving force within the Fremantle Society from its inception in the 1970s and gave years of service as a councillor in the City of Fremantle.

It is wonderful and right that Kay Cleak has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal. For decades, Kay has applied her energy, creativity and enormous compassion in supporting Cockburn's local veteran community and by engaging young Australians in schools and through the annual Anzac and Vietnam memorial services. Kay and her husband, Digger Cleak, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Australian Navy, are treasures of our community. They are much loved.

I also want to acknowledge, with great affection and respect, the writer, poet, editor and activist Wendy Jenkins, who has been honoured with an AM for her contribution to the great cause of Australian literature. As an editor at Fremantle Press, Wendy has mentored and enabled countless Australian writers. As a writer deeply invested in her community, with a fierce commitment to the environment and social justice, Wendy has done what activist writers always do: speak truth to power, speak for those without a voice and tell unflinchingly the stories of who we are at our worst and at our best. I congratulate Les, Kay and Wendy for being honoured in this way.

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