Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I begin my comments, I want to echo the sentiments expressed by the member for and the member for Kingsford Smith. I proudly signed up to the Barcelona Declaration. I think that the words expressed by both members of parliament are crucial in putting a spotlight on this issue, and I thank them deeply for their leadership in encouraging us, as parliamentarians, to get behind this very important cause. Very well done.

I was very pleased on the weekend to attend the Mount Druitt Swimming Centre for a very special event. Mount Druitt Swimming Centre was, a couple of years ago, on the brink of closure. The then Liberal controlled council looked to close the swimming pool; it would have been filled with algae, with the grass overgrown and the 'for sale' sign put up, and that land would have gone as a community asset. As a result of a very vocal community campaign led by people like Kerri Bradbury and others—and Kerri is very modest, and rightfully acknowledges the contribution of many people in giving voice to community concern about the loss of that great community asset—they secured the pool. Now, in 2016, as a result of a great decision by the New South Wales RSL Youth Council, we were able to have the 55th Annual Youth Clubs State Swimming Championships held at Mount Druitt on Saturday. It was a terrific day.

I have to commend the organisers, the volunteers, the parents but importantly the young people, those potential future sporting champions, who participated in what looked to be a terrific event. It was very humbling that I was given the opportunity to open the event on Saturday and to extend to John Haines a deep sense of gratitude for being able to be part of the event on the day.

I was particularly pleased to also see the contribution and the participation made by the Rooty Hill RSL Youth Swimming Club. They did particularly well. I wanted to acknowledge in the House their performance, because we are rightly proud of the fact that a lot of people provide a platform for those young people to succeed and to excel. I thought it was important to be able to recognise that here tonight. I am told that the club itself had 14 swimmers compete, and they received a total of 14 gold medals, seven silver medals and three bronze. Zones 2 and 7 came first this year, and zone 4 came second. They informed me that they came third last season, when they went to Dubbo, so they have improved, and they are very happy, and rightly so, about that. Zone 4 won some four perpetual trophies on the day: female overall points score, junior overall points score, junior girls relay, and junior boys relay. I want to read the names of some of the swimmers who were successful—great local residents—like: Georgia Lee, a 19-year-old, who won a gold and two bronze medals; Amilda Kasper, 16, who won two gold medals; Shannon Fenech, 16, who won one gold, one silver and one bronze; Alana Kerri Broomham, 15, won three silver medals, good on her; Monique Portelli, 14, won two gold medals; Amarni Leuzzi, 14, won one gold medal; Shania Fenech won one gold medal; Taylah Lee, 14, won one gold medal; Hannah Woodcock, 12 years old, won one gold medal; Michael Wills, 12 years won two silver medals; Dominique Leuzzi, 12 years old, won one gold medal; Luizza Legate, 10 years old, won one gold medal and one silver; Isabel Manning, 10 years old, won one gold medal; and Grace Manning, 10 years old, won one gold medal.

They were terrific performance and they were very happy that they had done so well. It was terrific that they could perform on home ground—or in a home pool, in this case—and do our area proud. In particular, we are grateful to the RSL and the fact that they were able to hold that 55th annual championship in our area. We are enormously proud of that. Congratulations to everyone who participated. Well done. You do us all proud.