Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to make a warm welcome to this House to all of the participants of the RIRDC Rural Women's Award and to their partners and sponsors. We had a most wonderful occasion in the Great Hall in Parliament House last night—truly a gala celebration of all that is good, glamorous and gorgeous about Australian rural women.

Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hear, hear!

Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you—well-recognised, my colleagues across the House. We celebrated the seven state winners, the runners-up, and it was a most wonderful evening. Particularly to Jackie Jarvis from WA, the national runner-up; and the national winner, Pip Job from New South Wales—well done! I would also like to particularly acknowledge the Victorian state winner, Julie Aldous, from the magnificent town of Mansfield in the electorate of Indi. Well done to Margo, RIRDC, to the sponsors—Westpac, ABS, GRDC—and to the minister for the wonderful speech he made. I encourage all MPs in this House to please note that the closing date for the 2015 award is 30 October. I will send you all a little note so that we can send the word around your communities to encourage the best and the most wonderful of Australian rural women to come to parliament for another wonderful dinner next year.