Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the wonderful efforts of the Lions Club of Riverside and a champion athlete in my home state of Tasmania. When Hawthorn play at Aurora Stadium, the Lions club mobile kitchen is there serving the best scotch fillet steak sandwich in Australia. The Lions man the gates at various local events and for over 20 year ran the biggest Carols by Candlelight event in Tasmania.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 9:38 to 9:59

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just to let those in the Federation Chamber know, at approximately 10 we are going to suspend to enable the opposition to have a party meeting, so the member for Bass can continue his speech and after that we will suspend.

Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to continue to acknowledge the wonderful efforts of the Lions Club of Riverside and Tasmanian cyclist Richie Porte. When Hawthorn plays at Aurora Stadium in Launceston, the Riverside Lions mobile kitchen is there serving the best scotch fillet sandwich in Australia. They man the gates at various local events and for over 20 years ran the biggest Carols by Candlelight in northern Tasmania. They rattle the tin for cystic fibrosis, Launceston City Mission and others. The money they raise goes to so many wonderful causes, which is consistent with the Lions' prayer which is recited at every meeting. It asks the Lord to bless 'every effort that we make to build the towns in which we live and put it in our hearts to give to worthy causes'.

Under the stewardship of the club's recent presidents, Brian Connolly, David Vautin, Geoff Billet and Len Healy, over $100,000 each year is injected into my local community by this one club. One of the projects to highlight is a recent renovation of two apartments in Launceston which offer discounted accommodation to families of children having cancer treatment at the local hospital. This project was managed by a stalwart of the club, Lion John Oldenhoff. I acknowledge and thank those lions of our community, the wonderful Riverside Lions Club.

I would also like to celebrate the achievements of Tasmanian cyclist Richie Porte, who in 2013 has completed the most successful season of his career. Recently he was named 2013 Tasmanian athlete of the year, honouring a glittering array of performances on the world tour, including victory in the Paris-Nice cycling race and helping his British teammate, Chris Froome, win the Tour de France. In addition to winning the Paris-Nice, he was second in the Criterium de Dauphine. Such is his stature at the top level of world cycling that in 2014 Richie Porte will lead his team in the prestigious Giro d'Italia.

Tasmania has a proud sporting heritage, including champions like Ricky Ponting, Daniel Geale, Darryl Baldock, Roy Cazaly, David Foster, Rebecca Van Asch and Eddie Ockenden. But our cycling heritage sparkles. The magnificent Graeme Gilmour was Australia's youngest ever scratch man in 1964 at the age of 19 and the best six-day rider in the world in the mid-1970s. Other champions include Matthew Gilmore, Danny Clarke, Graeme French, Michael and Alf Grenda, Graham McVilly, Grant Rice, Michael Wilson and more recently Amy Cure and Lauren Perry—not bad for a state comprising only half a million people. Richie Porte is the latest example of a Tasmanian cycling champion. I know lovers of sport around the country will join me in congratulating Richie for adding yet another chapter to Tasmania's and Australia's proud sporting history.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will call the member for Fremantle to accommodate her request, and then we will be suspending in accordance with the agreement the parties came to before.