Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My electorate is home to some wonderful schools, not least Lurnea High School. I know Lurnea High better than most. I began my political career there when I was elected school captain. It seems like I've been campaigning ever since.

Established in 1965, the school lives up to its motto, 'Truth through reason,' by producing generation after generation of students who do amazing things. But success is never achieved in isolation, and the current principal, Kylie Landrigan, provides outstanding leadership to her staff and students. I know this because I recently met with her current school leadership group, and their questions were just amazing.

Pity then that, in a different parliamentary chamber in Sydney this week, a local member of parliament spent their time criticising the school, knowing full well the school and its leadership team are unable to respond publicly. And of course it goes without saying that the member's criticisms were sufficiently vague and didn't mention a single name under privilege, in doing so placing the entire school under a cloud. Positions such as ours are tremendously privileged and with that comes responsibility. Here's some advice for my colleagues in the New South Wales parliament: use your time at the dispatch box carefully and with a view to the damage that you may cause.