Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia Day is a time to remember our proud history and to reflect on all that we are grateful for in our very fortunate nation. In honour of Australia Day I had the privilege of congratulating individuals within my electorate who have taken the very significant steps to become Australian citizens during the citizenship ceremony at Forster-Tuncurry. The decision to become an Australian citizen would have required a great deal of careful thought and consideration. I hope it is a decision which leads these individuals to continually develop an appreciation and understanding of our heritage and traditions and a great sense of pride and satisfaction. To all those who took part in the official ceremonies to become Australian citizens, please accept my most heartfelt congratulations. I applaud you for the commitment that you have made to become part of our common future and officially welcome you to our Australian family.

In addition, I would like to acknowledge two of my constituents who were awarded the most prestigious Order of Australia Medal on Australia Day: Mr Charles Warwick Pope, from Morpeth, for an outstanding contribution of service to the industry of non-destructive testing; and Ms Maureen Ann Kelly for her service to the community of North Arm Cove. I have known Maureen for about 15 years and I can attest that she is a motivator and an achiever for the North Arm Cove community. I can say that without her individual and team efforts the community would not be as cohesive or have the community assets and infrastructure that it has. I wish to extend my warm congratulations to both on their achievements.

I am also very proud to formally recognise those citizens who were named Citizen of the Year for their respective local government areas. Firstly, I would like to recognise Mr Dick Barry, Great Lakes Citizen of the Year, who has dedicated his life to empowering others. A former schoolteacher, Mr Barry spent 39 years in public education. Secondly, I would like to recognise Ms Fran Corner, Port Stephens Citizen of the year, who has spent 35 years helping to make the Tilligerry Peninsula a better place to live through a host of community groups including Tidy Town; the Tanilba Bay Parks, Reserves and Halls Committee; and the Rural Fire Service. Thirdly, I would like to recognise Mr Chris Fibbens, Dungog Citizen of the Year, who, as a volunteer with Dungog and District Retirement Living Inc., regularly visits those living with dementia. Fourthly, I would like to recognise Ms Sharon Rosenblatt, Gloucester Citizen of the Year, who has been active in the local community through the local high school P&C, has been involved with the Gloucester Mountain Man Tri Challenge and is on the committee for Gloucester’s Shakespeare Festival. To all these fine Australians, I know that their satisfaction and reward comes from serving their community, but it is important to recognise these people, without whom our communities would be a much poorer place.

To all those individuals who took part in official ceremonies, please accept my most heartfelt congratulations. I remind you that I am always here to listen to your concerns and to make sure they are heard here in the federal parliament.