Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) places on record its support for recipients of the Order of Australia;

(2) acknowledges the Order of Australia is the highest national honour awarded to Australian citizens for outstanding contributions to our communities and country, and to non-citizens who have given extraordinary service to Australia;

(3) notes that since being established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, there have been more than 600 recipients of the Companion of the Order of Australia, over 3,300 awarded Officers of the Order of Australia, more than 11,600 inducted as Members of the Order of Australia and more than 26,800 honoured as recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia;

(4) recognises the recipients in the General Division of the Order of Australia on Australia Day in 2021 come from an array of fields including science, education, governance and sport; and

(5) encourages all Members to congratulate recipients from their electorates on this immense achievement.

The Order of Australia is awarded to Australians who have significantly served our community and have been great achievers in their chosen field. I'm always delighted to have the chance to reflect on the hard work, service and accomplishments of Australians in my community. Several Berowra constituents were recently inducted into the order, and today I would like to take the opportunity to recognise their service and offer my congratulations. From service in education and the disability sector to contributions in aviation, law, horticulture and publishing, the recipients of this year's awards span a diverse array of fields and reflect the enormous ability of Berowra constituents.

Professor Ronald Bartsch of Cheltenham has been appointed as Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to aviation law, safety and compliance. Professor Bartsch is considered one of the world's leading experts on aviation law and aviation safety. He's been a barrister and a lecturer in law for over 25 years, and, as managing director and chairman of Avlaw Aviation Consulting International, he works with almost 100 specialist aviation consultants and lawyers across the Asia-Pacific. His books include International Aviation Law, The Corona Dilemma: 20-20 Thinking for the Next Normal, Drones in Society and Aviation Law in Australia.

Graham Ross of Beecroft was appointed Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the broadcast media, and particularly to horticulture and the community. Graham has been a fixture on Australian radio and television for four decades. He's been a presenter on television shows, including Better Homes and Gardens, and runs The Garden Clinic on 2GB. He operates Ross Garden Tours, a local family-operated garden tour company, which is one of the best in Australia. Starting as a teacher at Ryde TAFE, he has been a passionate advocate for horticulture and for young people choosing careers in gardening. I particularly think of the work that he's done through the Australian Garden Council. He's also a major identity in the Beecroft community, always finding ways to contribute, not just nationally but locally as well. Today I acknowledge the immense contribution Graham has made to horticulture.

Francis Deane of Castle Hill has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to people with disability and to the community. Francis, or Frank as he's known, has contributed to numerous community organisations, including the Rotary Club of Carlingford, the Probus Club of Carlingford-North Rocks, the New South Wales Masonic Club, the Buccaneers, and the Northern Barbarians Rugby Club. He's made a significant contribution to Foresight, acting as its chair since 2014.

I also want to acknowledge the contribution of Colin Llewellyn of West Pennant Hills, awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Colin has served as a session clerk, a superintendent of Sunday schools and an elder at the Beecroft Presbyterian Church. He has also worked as the voluntary chaplain and the spiritual adviser at the Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre and has previously held positions as Chief Executive Officer of Presbyterian Social Services and the Allowah Presbyterian Children's Hospital.

Congratulations to Lynn McCrindle of Pennant Hills, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to children and to education. Mrs McCrindle was one of the founders of Pacific Hills Christian School, one of the great schools in my electorate. She worked as a teacher there from 1979 and was on the board of the school until 2018. She has been a volunteer with Christian Missions International and is on the international management committee. Mrs McCrindle has also been a volunteer with the West Pennant Hills Community Church for over 50 years and has been a volunteer with Crossroads since 1996. Her family involvement of the life of Pacific Hills continues, with her son, the social researcher Mark McCrindle as the chairman and with various grandchildren attending that school as students.

David Rosenberg of Kenthurst has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to publishing. David was the founder and director of the independent publisher Kangaroo Press until 1997, when it was sold to Simon & Schuster. While operating Kangaroo Press, David and his wife published around a thousand non-fiction books, covering Australian history, biography, military maritime history, sport, craft, agriculture, radio pioneers, gardening, railways and Aboriginal affairs. David established Rosenberg Publishing in 2002, and at the age of 89 David continues to operate Rosenberg Publishing with his wife, averaging 12 non-fiction books a year. In 2009 he was the recipient of a George Robertson Award from the publishing industry.

Finally, I want to recognise Geoffrey Scott of Carlingford. He was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to education and professional associations. Geoffrey's involvement in education spans over 55 years and includes seven years as President of the New South Wales Primary Principals Association. He became a school principal in 1983 before retiring in 2016 and is a life member of the New South Wales association and currently a principal support officer. He's also a life member of the Australian Government Primary Principals Association, holding several other significant roles.

All these people have made a significant contribution to our community and our country, and I salute them.

Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

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

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

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

The Order of Australia is a truly great honour for Australians who are committed to serving their communities, but I'm quick to point out that there are many Australians who have not yet been awarded the Order of Australia who are incredibly committed to our community. I encourage those Australians out there, when you know a good Aussie that is doing a brilliant thing for our community, for our country, to nominate them. The Northern Territory has the smallest population for any Australian jurisdiction, with just under a quarter of a million residents, so I'm very proud to pay tribute to the wonderful Territorians who have been acknowledged for their hard work in our community on the Australia Day Honours list.

The Hon. Trevor Riley QC is now an Officer of the Order of Australia. He is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. His legal career has spanned almost 50 years. He worked on the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, which, of course, is important work as we reflect today upon the efforts that are still required to close the gap. During his tenure as chief justice he was outspoken on such issues as alcohol abuse, high imprisonment rates and cuts to legal aid. He's made a colossal contribution, and Territorians are very thankful.

Also a newly appointed AO is Professor Alan Cass, Director of the Menzies School of Health Research. I spoke with Alan at a breakfast we had just the other day for the anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations. He's a kidney specialist and he's doing amazing work to get better health outcomes, particularly for the First Australians. Unfortunately, the NT has some of the highest rates of kidney failure in the world, so Professor Cass's work is literally life-saving.

His colleague Professor Amanda Jane Leach has now been awarded an AM. She is doing fantastic work in fighting an ear infection which causes long-term hearing loss in First Nation's kids. When you consider that hearing loss in children often leads to less-than-great outcomes at school—dropping out of school et cetera—then this work that Professor Leach is doing is so important.

Long-time and recently retired Katherine mayor, Fay Miller, has done tremendous work for her community. A member of the other side of politics, Fay has been a tireless advocate for Katherine for more than 30 years, including as deputy opposition leader in the NT legislative assembly. She has faced down huge obstacles, such as breaking her neck and rebuilding her home twice after the flooding that went through Katherine over the years. So I send a heartfelt and very apolitical thank you to Fay.

Former Chief Magistrate of the NT, Hugh Bradley, was also honoured this year for his service to the law and the judiciary—well done, Hugh. David Watters was honoured for his service to law enforcement in the NT. Thank you, David, very much for your service. And congratulations to the Hagan family of Tennant Creek and also a special shout out to Katie Woolf of Mix104.9 FM, who I speak with regularly on-air. She is a great voice for our community, speaking truth to power. She has also positively channelled her grief from losing her father six years ago to prostate cancer. She started the NT Run with Dad charity to raise community awareness about prostate cancer. She's a top Territorian and so well done, Katie.

As is David Dinh, who received a medal for his service to the NT Vietnamese community. On the weekend I went to the Tet celebration for the new year, which is a fantastic event. Good on you, David—we're much better off in our community for your excellent contribution. And you grow delicious mangoes! Well done, mate.

Carley Scott is CEO of Equatorial Launch Australia. ELA is doing fantastic work out in East Arnhem Land for the growing space industry there. Getting NASA rockets launched from a spaceport in the outback is fantastic work—keep it up Carley! And, lastly, but very importantly, I want to pay tribute to our Public Service medallists. There is a Jodie Ryan, a long-term public servant in the Northern Territory—well done—and our Chief Health Officer, Hugh Heggie. He is doing a fantastic job with our COVID response, which has seen the Territory not have one community transmission so far. Well done, Hugh Heggie, and well done to those great Territorians.

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

I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Berowra, for putting forward this motion to recognise the men and women who were awarded an Order of Australia honour on Australia Day this year. On behalf of my community of Lindsay I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the awards to people across our community.

'Bravery at its best' is how the Royal Australian Navy characterised the actions taken by Leading Seaman Steven Palu, CSM, of Glenmore Park. In August 2017, Australian Clearance Diving Team 1 was called on to recover three missing United States marines from the wreckage of an MV-22 Osprey—a military aircraft. In what was a demanding and hazardous dive, the efforts of Leading Seaman Palu in overcoming a challenging environment and malfunctioning equipment guaranteed the return of the body of a marine to the grieving family. He said, 'We had a job and we got it done.' But this was no ordinary job.

The Royal Australian Navy notes that no Australian clearance diver has recovered human remains from a ditched aircraft at that depth in recent history. Leading Seaman Palu was awarded a Conspicuous Service Medal, citing his meritorious devotion to duty. Leading Seaman Palu's devotion to duty is unquestionable, as is his courage, determination and dedication. This truly was bravery at its best and I congratulate Leading Seaman Palu on his recognition.

Also receiving recognition on Australia Day this year was Mr Shaun Danby, ACM, of Kingswood. Shaun started with the Department of Juvenile Justice in New South Wales as a vocational instructor back in 1996. Since 2017 he has been the Corrective Services Industries Operations Manager, leading a team on construction, emergency and urgent building and maintenance works. Shaun develops inmates through managing, coaching, instructing and encouraging the members of his team to help improve their skills and experience, helping them to get a job after their release and to become productive members of the community. Shaun's citation notes that he is, 'a selfless and committed leader and his dedication is exemplary'. Typical of the humble fashion in which he goes about his work, Shaun attributed his success to his team but it is appropriate that he has been recognised with the Australian Corrections Medal.

Mr Eric Easterbrook, OAM, of Emu Plains received the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community, particularly to war widows and their families. Eric served our country in the Royal Australian Air Force for 20 years before serving as a public servant for another 22. As the Vice-Chairman of Legacy Australia Eric is an integral part of Legacy's efforts to support the families and loved ones of Australian Defence Force members who gave their lives, or who helped during or after their service to our nation. Eric has done all of what the member for Berowra notes as 'a range of fields of service to our community'. He is a member of Legacy, a volunteer for the Uniting Church, a leader of the Emu Plains Lions Club, a member of local sports including Emu Plains Soccer Club and the Little Athletics. He was a volunteer with Blaze Aid and with National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW—so much for our community. I was proud to meet Eric last year and talk about the work he was doing in our community in encouraging younger people to take part.

Warrant Officer Christopher William Rohweder, CSM, of Glenmore Park was awarded a Conspicuous Service Medal. He was recognised for his meritorious achievement in the training and development of the Australian Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Remediation Program. He is known for being an outstanding professional who displays exceptional dedication to duty. His development of innovative assessment and instructional tools, subject matter expertise and professional work ethic were crucial to achieving a successful trial of the new course that has delivered improved training outcomes and a number of resource efficiencies that have advanced defence capability.

I am so proud to represent the people of Lindsay. We are all proud of our community and what it has achieved—particularly to have Leading Seaman Steven Palu, CSM; Mr Shaun Danby, ACM; Mr Eric Easterbrook, OAM and Warrant Officer Christopher William Rohweder, CSM, as members of our community. They truly are outstanding citizens. I am particularly pleased of the work that is being done to encourage younger people in our community to serve as well. I congratulate all of them on their Australia Day honours and look forward to their ongoing contributions to our community of Lindsay.

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I would like to thank the member for Berowra for introducing this private members' motion to the House, which gives me the opportunity to speak about three of my local constituents who received Australia Day honours this year. Our Order of Australia awards recognise those who give extraordinary service to Australia. I certainly know how important they are to the recipients, their families and their communities.

I want to begin my congratulating Greenvale resident Michael Panormitis Pakakis AM, Member of the Order of Australia, who was recognised for significant service to STEM education in Victoria. Michael is the director of the Victorian Space Science Education Centre at Strathmore Secondary College and works closely with the education heads of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to develop STEM teaching resources.

Michael is a child of the post Second World War nation-building migration program. His parents migrated to Australia from the island of Rhodes in Greece when he was 13 months old. In fact, Michael and I may have come to Australia in the same year. Certainly our families came here for similar reasons: a better future for their children.

As an only child Michael spent many hours watching science fiction TV series and reading. Both parents were at work, his mother a seamstress and his father a tool maker. This is a very familiar migrant story. Michael had an interest in science and recalls that on the day the Americans landed on the moon, 20 July 1969—who could forget that—he told his dad that he wanted to do something related to science. He loved acquiring knowledge but he also wanted to impart this knowledge so he became a teacher. Michael has been teaching since 1985. Reflecting on his service and contribution, Michael says:

During my first years in teaching, I taught disadvantaged kids from migrant and refugee backgrounds, often with poor English and learning difficulties. I used to tell them that I am a migrant too and they can achieve anything they dream of, if they put some effort in. I wanted to be a role model for them.

Michael's motto is one that NASA instils in its astronauts: 'Failure is not an option. Perseverance is the only option.'

Greenvale resident Mrs Samia Baho OAM received a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to refugee welfare for the African community of Victoria. Samia came to Australia as an Eritrean refugee 30 years ago. She too shares the enduring story of refugee settlement in Australia. From an early age she had to overcome challenges by being resourceful and visionary. She spoke seven languages and quickly learned English, and she went on to obtain a social work degree, a master's degree and a postgraduate diploma in women's health at the University of Melbourne as well as a certificate in cultural practice, law and health at La Trobe University. Samia became the founding member of the Centre for African Australian Women's Issues. Her experience of being a refugee has pretty much shaped her advocacy work and drives her determination to help those refugees who come here. She has led on issues related to racism and sexism, working to ensure that there are appropriate and equitable services available for African women.

In the past five years Samia has worked on projects associated with sexual and reproductive health improvement for Sahel African women and is the statewide coordinator for the Productive Rights Education Program. She conducts important work in addressing perceptions about African women and family violence. Samia is very passionate about helping people find a job, especially women. As she says, 'If you get employment, your life will change in a lot of aspects.' Samia has set up a specialised centre in Melbourne's west, whose main goal is to help people into employment. She connects with a wide network of other services and people who are sympathetic to her cause and who work together to make it happen. Samia is a great woman, and I want to congratulate her especially.

Craigieburn resident Kevin O'Neill is one of four Cricket Australia scorers who officiated for their club in Victoria's premier cricket competition to receive an OAM. Kevin is the Carlton Cricket Club's scorer and has held the first grade scorer's chair since 1971. He has been appointed scorer in 33 test matches, 63 one-day internationals, 186 first-class matches and 39 list A matches. Since his first match, Kevin has been Carlton's first grade scorer in 596 matches. And what a good club Carlton is! Kevin and I obviously share an association with Carlton.

Congratulations, therefore, to my three constituents—Michael, Samia and Kevin. You represent the breadth of the Australian story and are rightly recognised by our Australia Day awards, and I want to congratulate you very warmly.

Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Berowra on moving this motion on the Order of Australia honours, and I would like to place on record my own support for the recipients of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Australia Day honours within my electorate of Boothby. As the federal member for Boothby I am honoured to be able to congratulate this year's recipients and to acknowledge the contribution of so many local residents and groups to the richness of our local community.

I would like to recognise the following residents for their outstanding service. Emeritus Professor Wayne Sampson AM was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to dental education in the field of orthodontics. Professor Sampson has played a leading role in South Australia's orthodontic field since being appointed a senior registrar in orthodontics in 1975 at the Royal Adelaide Dental Hospital. Since his appointment, Professor Sampson has gone on to serve as a lecturer and senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide while assisting the dental department at the Royal Adelaide Dental Hospital in the roles of senior visiting dental specialist and senior consultant throughout the 1980s.

Additionally, as a former president and longstanding member of the South Australian branch of the Australian Society of Orthodontists, Professor Sampson was awarded an honorary life membership in 2014. Currently, as the emeritus professor of orthodontics at the University of Adelaide, Professor Sampson has authored more than 70 publications in refereed journals and was presented with a Meritorious Service Award from the Australian Society of orthodontists in 2008. Through a distinguished career, Professor Sampson has mentored and guided generations of students not just through their degrees but well into their professional lives.

Dr Roy Scragg AM OBE was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to medicine, to epidemiology and to professional medical associations. A former representative of the Papua New Guinea parliament, Dr Scragg was a member of the House of Assembly, the Constitutional Committee, the Legislative Council and the Executive Council. For his public service, he was appointed and Officer of the Order of the British Empire, PNG, in 1971.

While significant, Dr Scragg's dedication to public service is only exceeded by his medical achievements. A longstanding medical professional in Papua New Guinea and in Australia, Dr Scragg has been an influential figure in the fields of medicine and epidemiology since joining the Department of Health for the Australian administration of the then Territory of Papua New Guinea in 1947. Following his tenure as director of the department, Dr Scragg went on to become a foundation Professor of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Papua New Guinea in 1970, while serving as a founding member and president of both the Australian Society for Epidemiology and Research into Community Health—now the Australian Epidemiological Association—and the Australian Public Health Association, which is now the Public Health Association of Australia. Dr Scragg's achievements in these fields have earned him a life membership of the Australasian Epidemiological Association in 2012 and an honorary doctorate from The University of Adelaide in 2014.

The following local residents were awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Australia Day Honours List. Ms Fiona Thomson, OAM, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to youth through Girl Guides and to academic librarianship within the University of South Australia and the late Mr Douglas Robert Scott, OAM, was awarded for his service to the community through a range of roles.

I would also like to recognise Detective Superintendent Kym Hand, APM, who was awarded the Australian Police Medal for his significant service within South Australia Police. Detective Superintendent Hand has served in South Australia Police since 1977, with a focus on leadership and criminal investigation roles while bringing significant reforms into the police force. This includes leading projects which implemented the deployment of portable fingerprint scanners, mobile computing and mobile automated number plate recognition. Additionally, the detective superintendent was also the officer in charge of the further development of firearms regulations in 2017.

Each of these honours recipients is a dedicated member of our local community and I wish to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of them for their contribution to our community and to the broader Australian society. Thank you all so very much for your outstanding commitments and your efforts, both within your professions and as volunteers.

Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Berowra for bringing this motion forward today. It is certainly a true privilege to receive an Order of Australia award. These awards recognise local people who have demonstrated outstanding service or an exceptional achievement during the year. Often they are the quiet achievers of our community who are doing their bit every day to help our community and to give back, never wanting or expecting anything from it. This year we have seen even more why these people are so special. I am always delighted to have an opportunity to celebrate people like this in our community on the New South Wales South Coast and I want to take the time now to thank each and every local recipient for the work they do every day in our community.

Professor Robert Constable, AM, of Kangaroo Valley became a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to music education, to performance and to composition. Dr Michael McDonald, OAM, of Gerroa, received the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the Catholic Church and to the community. The Reverend Dr John Pender, OAM, of Berry, received the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the Uniting Church in Australia and to education. Mrs Merrin Ross, OAM, of North Nowra, received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the performing arts—particularly to musical theatre. And Mrs Julie Sydenham, OAM, of Milton, received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the creative arts. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all these amazing community members, and congratulations on this magnificent achievement.

The meritorious service awards hold a special significance this year after our community's experience during 2019-2020 bushfires. All of our frontline workers deserve our praise and recognition for the work they did, but I am thrilled to congratulate some special members of our local emergency services who received special recognition in this year's awards. Chief Inspector Peter Volf, APM, from Moruya, received the Australian Police Medal for his years of work and leadership in the New South Wales police force, including during the Tathra bushfires in 2018, and for his work as local emergency operations controller during the 2019-20 far South Coast bushfires. Mr John Dun, AFSM, of West Nowra, a stalwart of Fire and Rescue New South Wales, received the Australian Fire Service Medal. Captain Dennis Stannard, AFSM, of Sussex Inlet, received the Australian Fire Service Medal for his dedication to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, including as a heavy plant supervisor, sector commander and divisional commander during the recent Currowan bushfires. I would like to make a special mention of Captain Stannard for his role in successfully rescuing two firefighters from an overturned fire tanker during the unprecedented bushfire in Conjola on New Year's Eve 2019 in what were extremely dangerous and difficult conditions. Thank you, Captain Stannard.

The South Coast is also extremely proud of the locals who received recognition as part of the Order of Australia's military division this year. Congratulations and thank you to these recipients. Lieutenant Commander Daniel Hodgkinson, CSM, of Vincentia, received the Conspicuous Service Medal for his meritorious devotion to duty as the head of officer initial training at HMAS Creswell and the executive officer of the Royal Australian Naval College. Lieutenant Commander Hodgkinson's leadership has been described as 'tireless, flexible, influential, inclusive and inspirational'. He has been credited with making a substantial contribution to remediating the Royal Australian Navy's officer workforce shortage. Well done!

Finally, Warrant Officer William McConnell, CSM, of Cambewarra, received the Conspicuous Service Medal for his meritorious achievement in the field of Navy aviation maintenance. Warrant Officer McConnell's technical mastery was said to have been critical in overcoming the unique, complex and challenging circumstances associated with the introduction and development of the maritime support helicopter capability for the Royal Australian Navy. Once again, thank you and congratulations to all our 2021 Order of Australia and Australia Day honours recipients for your dedication and service to the people of the South Coast.

Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Berowra's motion and acknowledge those outstanding individuals who joined the Order of Australia on 26 January this year. Recently I had the privilege of recognising 12 local heroes in my electorate who received an Order of Australia for their distinguished service to our community and the nation more broadly. I was delighted to recognise 11 constituents in the Ryan electorate who recently joined the general division of the Order of Australia and one who joined the military division of the Order of Australia. The first was Sue Thompson, who was awarded an OAM for her longstanding service to music education in Queensland. Sue has taught piano for 45 years and has obtained just about every honour in the music sector that you could imagine. At 94 years of age, she still teaches 10 students, who continue to excel in their studies.

There was also Bronwyn Sheehan, the founder and CEO of the Pyjama Foundation, who was awarded the OAM for her tireless work helping the youth in our local community. Bronwyn plays an instrumental role for children in foster care. She started the Pyjama Foundation in 2004 to provide a service that could offer practical, hands-on support to foster children, which is so very important. There is Kirsty Brown, another member of my electorate, who became a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to our youth through Scouts Queensland. She was very humbled and honoured to be recognised for her selfless efforts this way. I know she didn't do it for the recognition but for all those scouts she has helped mentor. She has been involved in Scouts Australia for years, and, whilst she has never sought recognition, she has been devoted in her service. Also among the recipients was Thomas Ryan, who received an OAM for his work in medical research and to rugby union—a talented individual across a number of jurisdictions. Finally, Warrant Officer John Franklin was added to the military division of the Order of Australia for meritorious service as a sergeant major of the band of the 1st Regiment in the Royal Australian Artillery.

I am very privileged to commend such worthy individuals from the Ryan electorate to the House today. It is people like Sue, Bronwyn, Kirsty, Thomas and John, who sacrifice an enormous amount of time and energy, that make Australia and the Ryan electorate such a fantastic place to live. It is their contribution to the local community and recognising it that will inspire others to step up and lead by example, just as they have done. It is so important to recognise our local heroes, whether it be through the OAM process or just in general.

This year it is important to recognise the other local heroes—those who have worked on the COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Queensland. Although a vaccine hasn't come out of their work, they worked tirelessly day in, day out, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, particularly through the Christmas period, to produce their very best work on behalf of Australians. I thank all of those involved in the University of Queensland research and all of those from the Ryan electorate who received honours in the Australia Day list.

Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of day for the next sitting.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:30