Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We need young men to take a stand against violence against women, and local high schools in the Hawkesbury have been stepping up. The Hawkesbury White Ribbon Cup was held at Windsor High School last Thursday to support White Ribbon and send the message that violence against women is never okay. It's the second year for the soccer gala and this time it brought together all six high schools in the Hawkesbury, which is a feat in itself—Windsor, Richmond, Hawkesbury, Colo, Bede Polding and Arndell Anglican College. It was fantastic to spend a couple of hours out in the sunshine talking to the students, some of them about to do their HSC and seemingly enjoying a break from study, and, of course, to watch some wonderful soccer, where Arndell proved to be a force to be reckoned with but Colo took out the top spot.

I'd like to congratulate Windsor High School on their fantastic organisation of the day and to especially mention the chefs, who were churning out the delicious pancakes and maple syrup and sausages to feed the teams and fans. Thank you to all the teachers and young men and women who supported the event to ensure its success. Windsor High's deputy principal, Steve Smith, made a really great point: if you're going to create change, it really needs to start in our schools. This is a terrific initiative that not only builds awareness around an important issue but also builds bonds between our schools. I couldn't be prouder to represent a community that is working so hard to create change.

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