Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With Queensland's local government elections coming up on 19 March, I would like to take this opportunity to farewell Logan mayor Pam Parker, who has decided to hang up her mayoral robes. While Pam and I have not always seen eye to eye, we have shared one common goal, and that is proving to the rest of Australia and the world what a tremendous place Logan is to live. When people have put our city down, Pam Parker has been a fierce advocate for our city, defending it and its amazing people, and I commend her for her wonderful efforts.

The city of Logan has so many wonderful traits. Every day, I meet outstanding people from Logan who are achieving great things. The community is one that is caring and compassionate towards those in need. When our city faced the most devastating house fire in Australia, when 11 people, sadly, lost their lives, the Logan community came together like never before to offer financial and emotional support. When homes in Logan were threatened by flooding during one of Queensland's worst ever floods in 2011, friends, neighbours and volunteers spent hours sandbagging homes, putting up tarps and setting up evacuation centres. When the events of 2011 in Douglas Street hit our community, our community hit back by launching Logan's City of Choice Leadership Team, a team of leaders who are working together to improve the image of our city and the outcomes for our young people.

I have met so many outstanding people who champion Logan. We have resourceful and innovative people who have started successful businesses and who provide employment and training opportunities to the many young people in our community, we have compassionate people who have started charities that provide much-needed support to those who have fallen on hard times and we have everyday heroes who go above and beyond to help others.

Time and again, our city has risen above the negative stereotypes and shown the rest of Australia what a caring and compassionate community Logan is. I hope that, after the local government elections have rolled around, we have a new mayor and councillors who are just as passionate about promoting all the positives about the great city of Logan. Once again, I would like to thank Mayor Pam Parker for her services to our community, and I wish her every success and an enjoyable retirement.