Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Perhaps the greatest privilege that I have experienced in my short time in public life has been the ability to appreciate how communities are built and how they are sustained—that is, through the work of volunteers, people who give selflessly of themselves to ensure the places they live in thrive and to offer their peers every opportunity to participate fully in society. In this regard, over the summer break I took the opportunity to recognise the hard work and selfless dedication of some volunteers in the Scullin electorate for the work they have done for their communities over the previous year.

As was with local volunteers, I also took the opportunity at Thomastown Library to recognise the service of some who had contributed to society further away. I was able to honour in the place where they live the work of Donna Pascoe, who spent six months working to support health care outcomes in Tonga, and Ted Allen, a Vietnam veteran. It was a great privilege to hear from Donna and Ted, and share with them and their families, how their service had shaped them and contributed to so many others.

It was also a great honour to pay tribute to the volunteers for the work they have done to enrich and improve the communities of Melbourne's north and share their stories. A number of people who do work for the fantastic Whittlesea Community Connections were recognised by their peers for their outstanding contributions: Rose Harrison, Vicki-Anne Selvaggio, Victoria Mira and Paul Wilson. William McClelland was nominated from the Lalor and Thomastown Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association for a long period of selfless dedication. Similarly, Dolma Alabakis of the Greek Orthodox Community of Whittlesea Women's Group, a group that has done so much to bring older Greek women together to share culture and maintain community. Sadha Ranasinghe and Sean O'Brien were recognised for their work in the Whittlesea council Broadband for Seniors Program, a program that has done so much to bridge the digital divide among our senior citizens. Marilyn Madden was recognised for her work at Norris Bank Tennis Club and assisting with the elderly more generally within the community. Many others were recognised and their work paid tribute to, including Trish Mackin, Vince O'Grady, Sandra O'Grady, Nessie Sayer, Damien Apolone, Jason Prasad and Neil and Jenny Delaney.

It was a great opportunity to share with these great people and their families and friends and celebrate the work that they have done, not asking for anything in return. It was tremendous to have this work recognised by their peers, the people who nominated them in recognition of work that they had seen. To all of these people I say thank you for your wonderful work. I take this opportunity to acknowledge more generally all the volunteers who work to make the communities I represent so vibrant and successful.