Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to continue to congratulate local sporting champions in my electorate, as I was discussing yesterday in the Federation Chamber: Fern Edwards, of Mount Eliza, for competing in the rollerskating Australian Artistic Championships; Evie English, of Mount Eliza, for competing in the diving Australian Elite Junior Championships; Jordan Miller, of Mornington, for competing in the softball International Friendship Series; and Olivia Carlson, of Seaford, who attends Seaford North Primary School, for competing in the Australian Karate Federation national championships. I recently met Olivia in my office, along with her younger sister, who is already a brown belt and who, I'm sure, will also be a future sporting champion in my electorate.

I wish all of these winners of Local Sporting Champions grants all the best for their future sporting endeavours. I encourage other future sporting champions to apply for the next round of Local Sporting Champions grants. Applications for the next round are open until 31 October 2018. The Local Sporting Champions program is an Australian government initiative designed to provide young people aged 12 to18 financial assistance with the cost of travel, uniforms, coaching or equipment when they're competing, coaching or officiating at national or international sporting championships. These must be national sporting organisation endorsed or School Sport Australia state or national championships. Congratulations again to the local sporting champions in Dunkley.

Earlier this month, at the Village Baxter, I officially launched the new Australian Welsh Male Choir trailer. The trailer was funded with the help of $5,000 from the federal coalition government. The trailer will carry the choir's rises and equipment as it performs across my electorate of Dunkley, throughout Australia and overseas. The Australian Welsh Male Choir, based in Frankston, has been going for over 45 years and is world-renowned. It is the oldest Welsh choir in Australia and has toured the UK, Asia, New Zealand and all around Australia. I'm very proud to support the choir. I have even joined rehearsals myself a number of times. My own surname, Crewther, has both Welsh and musical connotations. 'Crewther' is derived from the Welsh musical instrument the crwth, whose popularity preceded that of the violin, which then took hold—much like tapes being followed by cassettes and then CDs.

At the end of this month the choir will be performing in the UK, including at Australia House and the Royal Albert Hall. I wish the choir ever success on the tour. I'd particularly like to wish the choir the best of luck in showcasing their talent at the 26th London Welsh Festival of Male Voice Choirs. I look forward to seeing more of the choir, as with the new trailer they'll more easily be able to transport their equipment from gig to gig across the electorate of Dunkley and across Australia.

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