Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to speak today about the celebration of selflessness that we conduct each year in my community in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, the northern half of Logan City. The Local Legends Awards that we put on each year, this year for the seventh time, have now recognised 499 different locals for the extraordinary work that they do in our community to look out for each other and look after each other. When you think about the year that we have all just been through in local communities right around Australia, it has never been more important that we recognise that we are part of a community, that we exist to look out for each other and look after each other, and to recognise that, if anybody is at risk of falling behind, then our responsibility as people, as Australians, as members of communities, is to make sure that we help them along. That is what the Local Legends Awards are all about.

Typically we get together at Logan diggers, hundreds of supporters, nominees and nominators and a lot of other people, to celebrate the selflessness of our local community. This year that wasn't quite possible because of restrictions. So we made a difficult decision to recognise the 82 people and groups in a slightly different way, and I want to acknowledge them today in the parliament as well. There are too many to mention, obviously—82 this year—but I would mention Brian Roberts, from Logan Brothers Rugby League Club, who runs the Old Boys there and does so much for the local community; those working in the domestic violence area of YFS Logan and providing other kinds of COVID support out of YFS; John and Jill Devaus, from Daisy Hill Neighbourhood Watch; Henk La Dru, Sam Luteru and Treye Warburton from ADRA Community Centre Logan Central; Alison Gentles, who organised the Woodridge Wanderers, a local walking group that builds people's connection to each other while they stay fit and healthy as well; Charlie and Jenny Bennett, who run the Logan Support Group for MS; Dave Mellsop and Tom Linskey, from Meadowbrook Golf Club, who organised an all-abilities golf program at our local golf club; and the Timoteo family, who have done so much for the Logan House Fire Support Network.

There are too many to mention in the limited time that I have today, but I acknowledge them all. What these people show is that, when it comes to selflessness and looking after each other and looking out for each other, this is how we roll in Rankin. This is the sort of thing that makes our community such an extraordinary place. We have our share of challenges but we have well over our share of quite amazing people and organisations who are so selfless with their time and do so much to enrich our community, and I want to thank and acknowledge them.