Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my great pleasure to deliver my annual report to the House on the Gorton Young Leaders Awards, a program I established some years ago, to recognise the achievements of exceptional young leaders in my electorate of Gorton.

Now in its fifth year, the Gorton Young Leaders Awards recognise local young people who have shown an exceptional commitment to public service in their final years of secondary college, specifically through involvement in voluntary work, student leadership or community service.

Fourteen former year 12 students across seven schools have been recognised for their achievements during 2013. They are as follows: from Melton Secondary College, Gordana Ostojic and Kyle Olinga; from Lakeview Senior College, Maddy Floresco and Luke Bethune; from Staughton College, Jennie Johnstone and Jordan Lindsay; from Melton Christian College, Jemima Justus and Darren Quinto; from Victoria University Secondary College, Deer Park Campus, Kimberley Mendez and Cuong Tran; and from Copperfield College, Mehak Sheik and Tommi Tam Phan.

The achievements of these winners have again spanned a range of worthy causes. Amongst them are a number of schools captains and SRC members. Others volunteered for St John's Ambulance, ran the backstage crew at the college production, and led various charity events and fundraisers. One student led fundraising activities for HeartKids, for which she was nominated for Young Australian of the Year.

Each of these recipients distinguished themselves as a future leader through their commitment to their education and their community. The winners, not to mention the families, friends and schools, should all feel proud.

Indeed, it was my great pleasure to meet these young leaders and their supporters at a presentation ceremony that I recently convened at my electorate office. Students were presented with certificates and a small prize, during what was a hugely successful and uplifting morning.

I am very proud that we have such upstanding representatives of Melbourne's west. I am sure the House joins me in congratulating these young leaders. Now enrolled in courses at university, TAFE and other educational institutions, they certainly have very bright futures ahead of them. We wish these young leaders every success going forward and I look forward to charting their future progress.