Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

It's such a privilege and an honour to stand in our Commonwealth parliament and pay tribute to three friends, colleagues and constituents—Robert Turner, Tom Ward and Charlie Gibbs—who were awarded McKell awards for their service to the Australian Labor Party. The three were nominated by the Port Kembla branch, and each application was supported by the state member for Wollongong, Paul Scully; the federal member for Cunningham, Sharon Bird; and me. All three award recipients are active local members of our community.

Robert, or Bob, Turner joined the Labor Party in 1994. He is a committed community campaigner. If there is a rally, an event or a protest against cuts to the Illawarra region, you'll find Bob there every day, all day. Bob has been the president of the Port Kembla branch and served in a number of positions in the branch. He is also a proud member of the Maritime Union of Australia and volunteers for the Port Kembla Mission to Seafarers, where he is a regular driver of its community bus.

Tom Ward joined the Labor Party in 1999 and has been a valued local branch member ever since. He has a wealth of knowledge of the Illawarra region and the steelworks, where he worked for many, many years. Tom has always been a great asset to local campaigns. He works closely with local MPs, fighting for improved health services, disabled access and local union campaigns. Tom has been an active campaigner to improve support for dementia sufferers and their carers and is always volunteering to help the Memory Walk & Jog.

Charlie Gibbs has been a member of the Labor Party since 2003, when he joined with his beloved late wife, Maria. Charlie is an active member of the Berkeley community. He has also served in the labour movement over many years with distinction. You can always rely on Charlie to turn up to events and get involved, and he is always the last one standing at any function. Charlie has represented the Port Kembla branch at the FEC and SEC level and can be relied upon to organise a branch raffle every month, raising funds to support local campaigns. Charlie has done important work in the local community as a tireless advocate for dental health.

Bob Turner, Tom Ward and Charlie Gibbs form a strong local campaigning trio in the Illawarra and Port Kembla district. Their dedication to the Labor Party and the Illawarra region will always be cherished and valued by local members. It's a great honour to be able to stand in this place and pay tribute to wonderful members of our party and our community such as them, but it's an even greater honour to know and to support these great men and to receive their support in return.

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