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

The village of Whiporie is on the Summerland Way between Casino and Grafton in my electorate of Page. I frequently stop there for a cuppa or a sandwich as I drive around the electorate. A local couple, Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace live near Whiporie. They used to play in a pub duo called Two Pot Screamers. But their creative talents are about to be recognised worldwide. Their company, mememe productions, has teamed up with Canada’s DECODE to launch dirtgirlworlda great name—an exquisite new television series for young children. The show, about a gumboot-wearing girl who grows awesome tomatoes, knows cloud names and drives a big orange tractor, will launch on ABC1 and ABC2 from 4 December. I have seen the preview of it, and it is wonderful. I know that children will love it, but I suspect that adults are going to like it too. I have been to their place and watched it. dirtgirlworld has already had its international launch in Cannes. I had this lovely email about Cate and Hewey rubbing shoulders with Friends star Lisa Kudrow and fashion queen Donatella Versace on their private yachts. It was so not them. But I suspect that their lives are about to change because of what has happened with this production.

Dirtgirlworld’s message of encouraging kids to lead environmentally sustainable lives is very much down to earth. It is very localised. It even has one of the local schools in it, the Wooli local school. They will also be able to benefit very much when the NBN is rolled out, because it will be important to have that sort of access where they live. It is just great. I cannot wait to see it launched. I congratulate both Cate and Hewey.

I would also like to congratulate the Grafton based Daily Examiner on recently being judged the best newspaper in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific in the under 25,000 circulation category. Judges said that it was a great all-round newspaper with a very strong design and excellent connection with the community. What a great way to mark the 150th anniversary of the Daily Examineror DEX as we call it. Former editor Peter Chapman, current editor David Bancroft and their team can be very proud of this achievement.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—