Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This weekend in Lilley we have a double-header of family and community events. On Saturday I'll be proud to cheer on the under-sevens playing in the 2018 ALP Shield, which is hosted this year by the mighty Aspley Rugby League Football Club. Hundreds of junior players and 20 teams from across the north side will battle it out in a friendly round robin competition. The ALP Shield has a long and storied history, kicking off in 1982 with sponsorship from the Labor Party. Five teams participated in the inaugural competition: Norths, Aspley, Sandgate, St Joseph's and, the winners, Banyo. Labor has proudly continued its sponsorship of the shield over the past 3½ decades, during which time the competition has expanded to include all the current affiliates of the Northern Broncos. The ALP Shield is the premier training ground for future Rugby League stars to learn the rules, develop their skills and enjoy the game. I'd particularly like to thank the Norths Devils for all of their assistance with the competition.

Also, on Sunday, 19 August I'll be hosting my 19th Welcoming the Babies ceremony, my last as the member for Lilley. I'll be joined by Labor's dynamic new candidate for Lilley, Anika Wells, whose daughter Celeste we welcomed as a baby last year. Welcoming the Babies is another proud north side tradition. This year it will be held at Taigum Square shopping centre in conjunction with the Taigum Square Family Fun Day. After the fun of the shield on Saturday, I encourage young families in the area to pop down the road to Taigum to help welcome the babies and to enjoy the fun day on Sunday from 10 am. Kids are sure to love the free activities and entertainment, including Peebo and Dagwood the clowns, Super Steph the puppeteer, and a special guest and super coach Laurie Lawrence. As master of ceremonies, Laurie is the heart and soul of Welcoming the Babies. His passion for young people and their water safety brings him to our event every year. We're lucky to have him. I'd like to thank Laurie for his dedication.

I'd also like to thank my tireless staff and all members of the north side community who have coordinated these popular events over the past few years. The truth is that events such as this are the heart and soul of a local community, whether they are junior sports events, activities that occur in schools or events across our RSLs. We have very strong community organisations across the north side of Brisbane, with an enormous number of volunteers, who put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that our community is a stronger place. There could be no more satisfaction than going to a Welcoming the Babies; to bring together all of the committee groups that assist young families with young children in our community is a very, very special pleasure for a member of parliament. So I'd like to thank community groups that will also be coming along on Sunday morning to Taigum Square to talk to the parents about what assistance they can receive on the north side of Brisbane.