Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Beautiful memories woven in gold—this is the picture we tenderly hold. Deep in our hearts your memory is kept—to love, to cherish and never forget.' Today I rise to speak about the life of a wonderful woman, Lisa Johnston. This month marks a year since Lisa's passing. The circumstances of her death will not be how she is remembered in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. Lisa was a tireless student at Melbourne Polytechnic in my electorate of Cooper. After facing challenges during her young life, Lisa found herself in our TAFE sector. She was supported by her teachers and loved by her fellow students. She flourished in the TAFE learning environment. Although she faced challenges, Lisa never let life bring her down.

During her time at Melbourne Polytechnic, she found her passion for advocating for individuals experiencing homelessness. This is what she wanted to dedicate her life to. The last assignment she handed in was on managing and promoting diversity. Lisa focused on the discrimination faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. When asked what she was planning to do with her completed assignment, Lisa said, 'I'll give it to my local MP, Ged Kearney. She'll know what to do with it.' Sadly, Lisa's life was taken before she could hand it to me, but her TAFE teachers did honour her wishes. I tell her story today to honour her work and I will continue to fight against the scourge of homelessness that Lisa so desperately wanted to work on.