Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we head off tonight to rejoin our communities for hot cross buns and Easter eggs this weekend, I stand up to give a pre-emptive shout-out to my local dentists at Somerville Family Dental Care. Last Saturday evening I had the honour of opening their new premises on Frankston-Flinders Road, where doctors Gisella and Pilar and their practice manager, Katherine, have renovated a beautiful Art Deco weatherboard home, putting in three chairs, modern equipment, peaceful places for patients and beautiful places for the team to rest, surrounded by a superb Mornington Peninsula garden.

An amazing family story sits behind this business—a story of generations of dentists across two continents and bounteous parental pride. Pilar and Gigi were born in Peru, where their parents, Ada and Pedro, fell in love while studying dentistry. Their dutiful daughters heeded their parents' advice and mastered English but in their hearts desperately wanted to follow in their footsteps and become dentists.

In his speech on Saturday, Pedro told us of his heartache when Pilar decided to move to Australia in 2006, where she passed her exams in record time. Her younger sister, Gigi, followed suit in 2010. There was not a dry eye in the house when Pedro concluded, en Espanol claro que si: 'One of the most important moments in the life of a parent is seeing how their children's projects become a reality. Today it is this moment for me and Adita. Our beloved daughters have opened their first dental clinic, thanks to their efforts, decision-making, professionalism and ability.'

So eat up, I say, colleagues, because, if you are as lucky as me, your Easter feast will land you in the lap of the most loving family at Somerville Family Dental Care.