Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the Welcome to the Top End! expo hosted by the Defence Community Organisation in Darwin. Our kids had a heap of fun. There were lots and lots of community organisations and government organisations there, and I met a lot of people, which was great. The idea of this event is to welcome new defence families to the Top End, and the Defence Community Organisation did a fantastic job. I wish to place on the record my thanks to Minister Payne, the defence minister, for allowing me to have a stall there, in what is, and should always remain, an apolitical event.

The Defence Community Organisation provides a range of services to defence personnel. We all know that defence families and veterans face a unique set of circumstances, and to have a coming together of everyone—and there were 100 stalls, maybe, at this exhibition—provides the opportunity for new families and current families to get connected to different parts of our community.

I also wish to place on the record my support of the Territory Labor government's pledge to invest in critical infrastructure in the Top End, supporting defence activity, including $100 million for the Darwin ship lift and marine industry facility. (Time expired)