Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the previous speaker's contribution to this national Harmony Day, the impact that it has in this place and more broadly across our great nation, and the contributions that everyone in this place is making in that space.

More importantly, I stand to talk on issues of education and the education reforms that this government is looking to pursue. I think there is an element of commonality and agreement that if the higher education reform space is left in the space that it is in the moment, it will be unsustainable. I think there is broad agreement on that.

While I want to look at higher education and how it affects my electorate, I also want to acknowledge what happens at the lower end of the scale, at the beginning of a child's education process, and acknowledge in my electorate of Wright the no less than 69 schools that service our communities and families. These 69 schools are made up by a vast array of students. In some of the more regional and remote localities, I have schools with only 10 students—and, at the other end of the spectrum, I have schools with just under 1,000 students. I acknowledge the contributions that principals, support staff, executive staff, P & C presidents, and those groups make to the development and education of our youth in this nation. Today, I would like to spend some time shining a light on smaller regional schools in my electorate which play a role in what are sometimes very isolated communities, with standards of infrastructure which vastly need improvement.

Last week I was over at Murphys Creek—and for anyone everyone reading the Hansard, Murphys Creek will not be a locality that springs to mind, or that they know as they do Sydney and Melbourne. Murphys Creek is a small community located at the bottom of the Toowoomba Range, about an hour and a half or two hours directly west of Brisbane Airport. I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours at the school, which has about 60 students. The principal, Lyndal Simonds, has done a wonderful job of encouraging parents to participate in school life, which was evident from the number of parents in attendance at a leadership ceremony that we had on the day. While I was there, I presented awards to    School Captains, Chloe Graf and Kale Hill; and House Captains—which have more of a sports orientation—Jordain Beezley, Kale Hill, Molly Wilson, Rockey Graves and Zac Keogh. These guys are all tomorrow's leaders—they are all our future athletes.

After we had the opportunity to catch up with Murphys Creek, we went to another small village called Withcott. Withcott is not too far from Murphys Creek, and is also located at the bottom of the Toowoomba Range. It is actually the community you drive through before you drive up the Toowoomba Range. I would like to acknowledge the principal there, Tania Angus, who had just returned. She inadvertently got a dose of salmonella at the recent school principals' function in Brisbane I am glad she has come to no harm, because she does an outstanding job in that space. It is wonderful to see her back on deck. She has a school motto of responsibility, respect and resilience—excellent principles to be teaching our youth of tomorrow. While I was there, I presented leadership awards to School Captains, Matthew Thomson and Shadahn Robinson; and to Sports House Captains and Vice-Captains, Danah Gaske, Abi Reichle, Anthony Anderson, Ben Warren, Charlotte Tate, David Lange, Emily Gemmell, Claire Brettell, Jack Debortoli, Jacob Armstrong-Dark, Maggie Harris, Mia Perkins and Michael Donahoe. There were a number of other awards which were handed out there on the day which the school and I are eminently proud of.

We finished the day at Grantham State School, another school which is doing an outstanding job. Grantham was one of those small communities which struggled four years ago in those devastating floods. I acknowledge the contribution of the principal, Rebecca Cavanagh: what a wonderful job she has done. I also acknowledge the leadership team they have over there, with Allierah Taylor, Chelsea Reinke, Cindy-Lee Olsen, Clair Matsen, Cormac Bramble, Larna Sukiennik, Phoebe Murray, Shannon Latz, Debra Dunne, Hayden Stead, Jesse Bownas, Haydene Noe, Karissa Sparkes, Rhianna Williams and Sara Barkle—all leaders of tomorrow.

I acknowledge the contributions of these schools to the electorate of Wright.