Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations, Deputy Speaker O'Brien. I talk a lot about jobs and for very good reason: the 300,000 people commuting every single day out of Western Sydney deserve local jobs. In my electorate of Lindsay I'm working hard to make sure that we're creating local jobs for local people. That's why I created the Lindsay Jobs of the Future Forum, bringing together community members, schools, small businesses and industry to work out how we can get the best of the opportunities that are coming to Western Sydney so that our kids get those jobs in the future, particularly in the STEM industries.

It is really important to encourage children in our schools to study science, technology, engineering and maths. I would like to commend some of the schools in Lindsay that are doing this: Penrith South Public School, Jamison High School and Samuel Terry Public School. I am looking forward this year to visiting more schools and seeing great STEM programs in progress. Educating our kids in STEM is educating our kids for the jobs of the future. That is also why I, along with our Minister for Employment, Michaelia Cash, held the Penrith Jobs Fair—2,300 local jobseekers matching up with job providers and small businesses to make sure that our locals are getting local jobs. That is one of my top priorities.