David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Sunday, 21 May, I attended the presentation day for the Penshurst West Youth Cricket Club at Club Central Hurstville. It was good to be there to present the Banks Outstanding Sporting Achievement Awards. The awards were presented to 10 players who had demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and community spirit over the season. The club also acknowledged the efforts of Peter Murphy, who is a volunteer at Penshurst West Cricket Club. He has given many hours of support to the club over many years. I would like to thank in particular the club president, David Gibson, and Treasurer Belinda Gibson for their dedication to Penshurst West Youth Cricket Club. It is very clear that their efforts make an enormous difference in holding together what is one of the largest cricket clubs anywhere in the St George district. Through their efforts, they have built one of the great sporting clubs of our region. Thank you to the Gibsons and to all of the other volunteers who make the club work, and to the award winners on Sunday.

On Sunday I also attended the Panania Public School P&C Mega Fete. This fete is so mega that it is held only once every four years. It is a massive event and there were literally thousands of people in attendance at the Panania Public School Mega Fete. There was a range of stalls, a trash and treasure and really good-quality roads with the kids—I got strong endorsement of the rides on the day from various people I know well—and there was plenty of food. I want to thank Gillian Westwood, the P&C committee president. They have a particularly active P&C at Panania Public School, and I know that many people have put in literally months of work to make the mega fete such a success. I would also like to thank and acknowledge Sandra Palmer, the school principal, and Martha Adams, the relieving principal, for everything they do for the school and the broader Panania community.

On 7 May I attended the Revesby Heights Hornets Cricket Club presentation at the Revesby Workers Club Sports and Recreation Centre. Revesby Hornets is one of the smaller cricket clubs in our area, with 43 players across four teams, but despite their small size they won two premierships, in the under 10s and under 13s, in the 2017 season. There is a really strong sense of camaraderie at this club, and that is largely down to the efforts of Club President Steve Brown, Club Secretary Jonathon Brown and all of the other parents who work so hard so that these kids have the opportunity to play cricket, to learn about the sport, to make friends, and to learn a little bit about themselves in the process. So, thank you very much to everyone at Revesby Heights Hornets Cricket Club. (Time expired)

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

I am committed to always helping the member for Banks and I think if he could just pass on to our friends in Panania that if they have that fete every four years they should call it the 'mega four'! If I am being unhelpful, you tell me.

David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will pass it on.

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

Thank you. I very much appreciate that. That joke worked much better in my head, by the way, Member for Banks!

I want to take this opportunity to recognise a true Chifley champion, Jason Hooper, for his outstanding achievements. He won an impressive three gold medals and one silver medal in swimming events at the World Masters Games in New Zealand last month. The World Masters Games, a global multisport event for athletes of masters age, is held every four years. This year, Jason brought home gold in the 50-metre breaststroke, 200-metre freestyle, 400-metre freestyle and silver in the 50-metre freestyle. However, this was not Jason's first victory. He has been competing as a champion disabled swimmer for over 26 years and during that time he has won a remarkable 163 gold medals, 46 silver medals and four bronze medals. But it has also been more than just competitions and medals for Jason. In 2015 he swam for seven hours straight at Mount Druitt pool for Wesley Mission, and good on him for that.

Jason, who was born with Apert syndrome, which affected his limbs, was not going to let anything stand in the way of helping him to help the homeless. I recently caught up with him to celebrate—

Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Chifley will resume his seat. The debate is adjourned.