Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I was fortunate enough to participate in the inaugural Nestle Battle of the Top End Girls Academies. The Palmerston Girls Academy, in conjunction with Nestle Australia and Role Models and Leaders Australia, held the event to connect predominantly young Indigenous females with role models they can look up to and gain skills they can use for life.

The girls academies are a great initiative championed by Australian and Territory sporting identity Bo de la Cruz. As a special surprise the Australian singing sensation Jessica Mauboy, a constituent of mine, agreed to speak with the girls. As you can imagine, they were blown away when Jessica walked out to sing her latest hit single. As well as performing, Jessica talked passionately about being an Indigenous woman and how important it is to follow your dreams. Her message to the girls was clear: 'Never give up. If you have the desire to do something then just go for it.' Jessica was an inspiration and she is a perfect role model for young Territorians and, in fact, all Australians.

The girls academy initiative was created with the aim of improving educational, personal and employment outcomes for Indigenous girls. The program provides supportive programs so that all members work towards completion of year 12, employment and further education.

Congratulations to all the girls who participated in the program, and a big thank you to Jessica Mauboy for taking the time out of her hectic schedule to speak with the young women and with me.