Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to showcase in this great place two wonderful women residents of Page and a large number of local volunteers, so large in fact that it would constitute battalion strength—the Meals on Wheels volunteers on National Meals on Wheels Day, all community champions and all who are achieving great things in our local community. The first is Jacqui Lawrence, who hails from old Bonalbo, a small and vibrant village. She has just won a silver medal in the whitewater kayak slalom at the Olympics. Today’s Northern Star newspaper calls Jacqui ‘the Whitewater Princess’, as does the community—and she sure is. The Old Bonalbo Public School—a lovely school, where a local boy came back as the principal—has welcomed her mum and dad, Sarah and Laurie, home from Beijing with an afternoon tea. And the Old Bonalbo District and Progress Association has orchestrated a welcome home sign that says ‘Proud home town of Jacqui Lawrence, Olympic silver medallist of 2008, and Kate Lawrence, her sister, world cup champion 2008’.

It is a family affair for the Lawrences, well publicised before they went to the Olympics, and sisters Kate and Rosalyn were at the airport yesterday to welcome Jacqui back to Australia. They were reported as wearing T-shirts that said ‘My sister won one of these’ and they had home-made silver medals attached. It really has been a great family and community affair, and they are all part of what Jacqui got out and did on the big day. Well done to Jacqui. Excellence is a great thing to aspire to and achieve. And well done to the Lawrence family for making it a family affair.

The next person I want to talk about is Vicki Hamilton and Heartfelt House. It is a service that is run locally by a remarkable woman. The service is, to my knowledge, unique in Australia. Vicki is a woman of considerable drive, passion and strength—herself an adult survivor of child sexual abuse. This is a matter on the public record that Vicki herself has talked about to bring attention to the issue she characterises as a disease of epidemic proportions. Quoting from one of her many letters:

Imagine a disease that affects one in three female children, and one in six male children. It is non-discriminate, affecting children from all cultures, socioeconomic levels and religions. It is a disease that means the patient has three times the chance of falling victim to drug and substance abuse than the general population; a disease that 71 per cent of homeless young people have had to survive; a disease that eventuates in 20 per cent of its victims committing suicide, and 80 per cent considering suicide; a disease that results in its survivors finding it difficult to maintain employment and healthy relationships; and a disease which causes its victims to believe they cannot be good parents ... I suggest that such an epidemic, with such catastrophic effects would send the nation reeling.’

The letter continues in that vein. Vicki has sent letters to absolutely everybody over the last 2½ years that she has had Heartfelt House up and operating, trying to secure funding support. So far, she has been unsuccessful. I joined that struggle with her to try and get some funding. It is an area I see primarily as a state responsibility but, like a lot of things these days, that is blurred, given the messy way our Federation has developed. Heartfelt House is, so far, supported with small amounts from community sponsors, churches, the House With No Steps—that gives it its base—and Vicki and others, who put in lots of volunteer hours. My staff and I have been trying to help Vicki and Heartfelt House get the support they need, and will continue to do so until—hopefully—we get there. This includes requests to private philanthropic organisations as well. The service is one that is demonstrably needed, providing support and therapy, as it does to adult survivors, and also assisting survivors develop family management skills and a positive community orientation.

I say well done to Vicki and to all who work to continue Heartfelt House, to give you some public recognition in this place and to let you know that we are in there supporting you.

On National Meals on Wheels Day, I want to pay tribute to the over 1,200 volunteers across Page—I suppose that makes it two battalions—who provide those in need with meals and allow them to stay in their homes. In a week about 600 meals are delivered right across Page. (Time expired)