Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the pleasant duties of a local member is honouring those in the community whose passion and generosity make others' lives richer. Today I rise to I congratulate the 22 Lalor Heroes in the areas of community and sport for 2015: Elizabeth Croft, Robyn Kompa, Ian Gainey, Terry Hedt, Esme Huggard, Louise Isted, Wally Martin, Brett Matthews, Susan McIntyre, Mubareq Risilia, Barry Shields, Alex Vasta, Gary Williamson, Fiona Cooke, Phil Morley, Rachel DiGenova, Luisa Ballestrino, Christopher Barnes, Kim Edyvean, Ross McKenna, Fabian Gargano and Rodney Joyce.

I would also extend my thanks to the community and sporting groups who engaged in the process and nominated these worthy recipients so that they could be acknowledged. Many of them have long worked in these organisations, giving hours and hours of their time to make sure that sporting events occur and to make sure that people meet in our community and share their experiences.

I was really thrilled this year to find a young person—a 12-year-old—nominated to be a Lalor Hero for her work in the Guides, but also for her work in celebrating Anzac and the research she had done of all of the names on the plaque in our town; she had done that and then shared it with her church. It was an extraordinary thing to see a 12-year-old honoured that way.