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

I rise to congratulate the people of Timor-Leste on a peaceful parliamentary election on Sunday, the country's fifth parliamentary election since the restoration of their independence in 2002. Once again our neighbours demonstrated the maturity of their democratic institutions, and that is a very wonderful thing.

Recently, at the restoration of their independence day celebrations, a number of Australians received orders of Timor-Leste, including Carmel Bates, who is a Territorian from Darwin who received a medal of Timor-Leste from President Jose Ramos-Horta 21 years after creating the Dili International School. The nation was less than a year old when the school's doors opened in early February 2003. It is a remarkable story. Carmel's family decided to move to Dili in 2002, but one of the major issues was education for Carmel's three kids with her partner, Tony Haritos. So they decided to start an international school. It has benefited countless young Timorese children as well as the children of international expats, including members of the Australian Defence Force and members of DFAT. I join the Timor-Leste President in thanking Carmel for her exemplary service.