Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm immensely appreciative of the trust placed in me by the people of Cook and many local Liberal Party members and local community leaders. I'd like to take this opportunity to mention some of those individuals and those community organisations.

Firstly, the president of our federal electoral conference and the campaign manager Scott Briggs, who was immense during that by-election, from making DL flyers, being at 6 am train stations to providing strategy, Scott was amazing.

I'm very indebted to Scott. Next, Lou De Domenico, the military precision which she ran the campaign and polling day was incredible and I learnt a lot and she was ably supported by her husband, Justin De Domenico, incredible. Pre-poll, Cooper Gannon was amazing and he's going to have a bright future in the party. Thank you very much, Cooper. I also would like to call out Daniel Padman, who was at more train stations almost than I was, I think. Thank you, Daniel. Also Cooper's partner, Freya Leach, who did a fantastic job turning up all the time.

Speaking of pre-poll, Jenny Bullen from Reid was incredible every day there. I remember one day, Jenny, you being there in sideways rain with a poncho on, drenched, but somehow you managed to keep all the how to votes dry. Also Lina Stuto and all the Reid volunteers. There was an enormous amount there at pre-poll. Thank you very much.

I thank the local campaign committee. Dallas and Wade McInerney and the entire McInerney supported me through my journey throughout the Liberal Party, and I'm extremely grateful to them.

Thank you Marie, Simone and Rene Licta for welcoming me into your home and your hearts. What you have done, , the immense help you have given me, has been amazing.

Robert Assaf has also helped me on my entire journey through the party. Robert, I'm extremely grateful for your support.

Marie Ficara: I don't think there's a priest or religious leader in the community of the electorate of Cook who you do not know. All the work you do there, not only with the party but more broadly in the community, is an inspiration to me and many others.

If anyone doesn't know Marie, they know Dunstan Desouza. Dunstan, you were phenomenal, and I am grateful for your friendship.

Dorette and Nick Varvaris: you were fantastic. I am very indebted to you and the support you continue to provide me. Thank you.

Dan Nicholls, Di McInerney, Mel Gibbons and Kent Johns were fantastic. Thanks to Matt Daniel; to the Mavropoulos family, who have the best seafood in the shire; to Noel and Nancy Gibson for turning up at prepoll all the time; and to John Harrison for turning up all the time, and his wife, Tina, as well. Isabella Kristo and Rebecca Pun: I'm very grateful for your support. I give my thanks to the entire Mumford family. I'd also to take this moment to recognise Lynne's recent passing and how tragic that was.

Daniel Rindfleish and Angus Ellisdon-Morris were also fantastic. Thank you very much for your support.

Turning to community leaders, Ian and Michelle Good provided endorsements and friendship. You're great people. What you do all through the community but particularly in surf lifesaving is phenomenal. The Kerr family, led by Peter Kerr and Cecelia Falson, do amazing work in the Sutherland shire and were great friends and guides to me. I'd also like to take this moment to acknowledge Carmelo Pesce, the mayor. We had a tough-fought preselection, and Carmelo was a class act after that. He got in behind me and helped me in the by-election, and I'm extremely grateful for his friendship and his class.

There are three other people, in particular, that I can't say enough about. Jenny Ware, in particular, turned up all the time. I'm very grateful. Mark Speakman, you did too, and Elenie Pettinos. You all handed out with me, turned up, provided endorsements. Thank you! I acknowledge former member Lorna Stone, Mark Coure, Dave Coleman and Daniel Cacaj. I'd also like to acknowledge Greg Allam and Greg Story.

Thanks to the local shire councillors: from Sutherland, Carol Provan, Hassan Awada, Louise Sullivan, Harios Strangas, Marcelle Elzerman, Leanne Farmer, Kent Johns and Stephen Nikolovski; from Georges River Council, Mayor Sam Elmir, Sam Stratikopoulos, Nick Smerdely, Ben Wang, Christina Jamieson, Lou Konjarski, Peter Mahoney, Elise Borg, Natalie Mort and Nancy Liu. Other volunteers were Kyriakos Panayi, Glenn Gorrick, Rob and Sue Garnett, Jean Harrow, Jordan Gibbons, Madgi Mona, Monica Mikhail, Barrie Childs, Neno Kevic and family.

Thanks, too, to the East Hills folk: Wendy Lindsay—you are incredible!—Richard Noonan, Ruth Le Bas, Ed and Anita Bourke, Alistair Birch, Charbel Abouraad, Chris Christofordia, Joel Johnson, Nartarsha Terrerio, Alex Dore and Hugo Robinson. Those last three were fantastic.

I acknowledge all the Bennelong volunteers: Scott Yung, Nat Smith, Michael Brereton and the entire North Epping branch. I love you all. You were fantastic. Doug Sun, Michael Pont, Andrew Brown, Rosemary Elliott and Matt Garth: thank you very much.