Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker Scrymgour, congratulations on your appointment. It's an honour to be here this morning and lovely to see you in that chair. It's wonderful news.

I rise to give my first constituency statement since I had the privilege of being sworn in as Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health. I'd like to share some of the amazing First Nations leadership and strength that we have in my electorate of Cooper. As parliamentarians we come across local champions who have seen obvious need and not so obvious need, and have acted selflessly for their community. I'd like to honour two of my local heroes, Uncle Ricky Baldwin and Aunty Muriel Bamblett, both of whom have been formally recognised for the incredible work that they do.

Ricky has been honoured as the 2024 Victorian NAIDOC Male Elder of the Year, a very well earned title. He's a passionate Gunaikurnai man from Lake Tyers Mission. Growing up, he didn't always have the mentors to guide his way and to instil in him a sense of hope and self-determination. That is what drives his passion to now mentor young Aboriginal people himself towards their own self-determination, cultural identity and a sustained connection to land and cultural practices.

Ricky has many strings to his bow. He is a talented artist, creating traditional Aboriginal artefacts. He is a recognised elite athlete and is founder and CEO of Koorie Academy Basketball. Uncle Ricky's vision of keeping culture alive is fundamental to the growth and wellbeing of the young people he works with. Through his connections with the AFL, the National Basketball League and state and local associations, he has demonstrated models for a healthy lifestyle that contribute to closing the gap. I thank Ricky for his tireless work and his advocacy.

Another local hero is Aunty Muriel Bamblett, who was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia, AO, for her distinguished service to the First Nations Community in Victoria. This year she was again honoured, with the Member of the Order of Australia, AM. Aunty Muriel is an elder and leader who looms large in our community for her work with local Aboriginal children and their families towards self-determination and fostering connection to culture. She's a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung woman and has been CEO of VACCA, the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, since 1999. She's also chairperson of SNAICC, the peak body representing First Nations child and family services nationally. Muriel is noted as a spiritual and intellectual force for change, driven by the desire to give children in out-of-home care a connection to culture.

As the member for Cooper and now the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, I acknowledge these wonderful people's leadership and the leadership of other First Nations people and organisations.