Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise, like many other members have this morning, to pay tribute to volunteers in the Shortland electorate and for that matter throughout Australia. This is National Volunteer Week and it is a time to celebrate the contribution that volunteers make to our society each and every day.

Like most members of parliament I visit organisations in my electorate, be it a school or the men's shed. Last week I went to Windale, which is one of the outstanding community organisations and men's sheds that operate within Australia. But, no matter what organisation I go to, there are volunteers attached to it. In all, there are more than five million Australians volunteering, and as a member of parliament I know what an enormous contribution this makes to our country. Many of the services that they perform, many of the activities they undertake, would not happen if it were not for those volunteers. It is only because they are prepared to make this enormous contribution that most of our organisations function. Meals on Wheels is a service that changes people's lives. It not only provides sustenance to people when they are older and frail and helps them live in the community; it also is a vital contact that they have on a daily basis with the Meals on Wheels person who delivers the food to their home.

Each and every one of us has a multitude of sporting groups within their electorate. Rugby league, Rugby union and soccer—there is even the odd AFL side in the Shortland electorate—are all run by volunteers. My grandson plays soccer. The coach, the manager and the person who washes the shirts are all volunteers for all the things that contribute to the life of those children, to the life of our society and to making Australia the nation it is today. On the one hand you have sport; on the other hand you have the cultural activities that take place. We have the Young People's Theatre in Newcastle that a lot of young people from the Shortland electorate are involved in. Once again volunteers make these things work. If we look at all aspects of our society, we will see that it is only because of the contributions that we have such a rich society here in Australia today. As it is National Volunteer Week, members of parliament have certificates that they can award to volunteers within their electorate. We are sitting this week so it has made it very difficult to have a function where we can present the volunteers with their certificates. I might add I have already presented the Belmont Hospital auxiliary with their certificate. I asked them to nominate someone and they said, 'We cannot nominate one person, because every person in our organisation makes an enormous contribution.' Already this year they have raised over $80,000. Next week I will be holding a function, a morning tea, to recognise the enormous contribution that volunteers have made in the Shortland community. I encourage members on both sides of the House to do a similar sort of thing, because it is very important that, as well as acknowledging them in this parliament, we acknowledge volunteers in our local electorates. It is important that we, as members of parliament and as leaders in our community, say that we appreciate what they do and say, 'Thank you very, very much.'

I am advised by my office that we have in excess of 100 volunteers who will be receiving awards next week and in the vicinity of 60 organisations who have nominated people for these awards. Thank you very much to all those volunteers. I say, 'Congratulations on the work that you do; it is really appreciated.'