Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know we're not allowed props, but this is not a prop; this is Birriwal, and I'd like to introduce her to the House and to you here in federal parliament. She's from the Seastar room at Salamander Early Education in my electorate. She is an on-country dolly who is going across many, many countries in our beautiful land, experiencing what it means. She's from the land of the Worimi. She's also teaching our wonderful young people between the ages of one and two at Salamander Early Education about reconciliation, about our Indigenous laws and about what it means to have great adventures right across Australia. I'm so delighted to bring Birriwal here to Parliament House, and I'm so proud to be part of a government that recognises early education. It is so critical. We're not only recognising the value of early education for our bright young people but also recognising the value in paying early educators more. That's why we've given them a 15 per cent pay rise.

I don't know about you, but I love kids. But I couldn't eat a whole one, and I don't know that I could educate one either in a formal setting. That's why I'm so pleased that we have these wonderful educators, and I'm so pleased to have Birriwal. She's looking particularly good. Don't worry, by the end of the day she'll look a bit frazzled like me, because we know how busy it is in parliament. But thank you to those early educators. Thanks, Birriwal.