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

Lurnea, in the seat of Werriwa, has been my home for my entire life. It's the place where I was born, raised and educated, but, more than that, Lurnea in the seat of Werriwa is the place that I choose to call home, and I would not live anywhere else. With you, Speaker, it has been a privilege to sit in the chamber as the member for Werriwa since 2016. The immense honour is not lost on me, and I'm grateful to my constituents for their ongoing support and trust, which enable me to fill this position and come to the place on their behalf. My neighbours are my friends. At times, after a day in the office, when I drive home, my neighbours are there to greet me with their problems and issues. They're not always very big, but my neighbours count on me to help them navigate the government issues.

Incidental times like these with neighbours in my driveway or front yard personify and articulate what I enjoy about being a local member. My job is to help out and repay the trust of my constituents, particularly those that have voted for me in the ballot box. Be it immigration, Centrelink, Medicare or NDIS, my neighbours and constituents sometimes need help in connecting with and solving problems with the government. I take a great deal of pride in that my office is always open to everyone and that every constituent, no matter how large or small their issue may be, gets assistance.

Having lived locally all my life, I can claim with certainty to be ingrained in our community. My children went to school locally, I referee junior rugby league, and, prior to entering parliament, I worked locally. On top of this, I served on Liverpool City Council. All the experience adds up. It enables me to genuinely express the concerns and aspirations of my community, and, as all members of this chamber know, the job of a local member is multifaceted. Certainly, there's constituency work, which I enjoy a great deal, but there's also the extremely important job of advocacy on behalf of my community and constituents. I undertake the advocacy with a passion in the media and the parliament and through constant on-the-ground campaigning.

In recent years, the massive growth in population has shaped many of my efforts in this regard. Thankfully, the Albanese government has delivered on many of the critical needs, and I point particularly to the government's massive investment in local roads and other vital pieces of infrastructure, such as the Moorebank intermodal or Western Sydney airport. I would like to particularly mention the $1.6 billion investment by the Albanese government in the M12 Motorway and the $37.5 million upgrade of the M5 Moorebank Avenue-Hume Highway intersection.

But wins come in small packages too. Recently, I attended the Catherine Cannuli Cup at Cirillo Reserve at Middleton Grange. The facility is top class for women's soccer and now has a state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard, again as a result of the Albanese Labor government and a much-needed grant. And then local schools have also benefited from the Albanese government's investment in education. I don't have time to mention them all, but they include James Busby High, Ashcroft High, Miller High and James Meehan high. They have all received massive investments by this government, the latter receiving $1.5 million to upgrade a hall. These are all wins for my community, and I take a great deal of pride in my and Labor's role in their delivery.

My record over my entire period of public life testifies to my core and steadfast belief that only Labor can bring about the type of society, community and Australia where all have opportunity and all feel valued and supported. I've never been prouder to be a member of the Albanese government and represent my community in this place. The privilege of being a Labor member in parliament is never lost on me. It has been a journey for sure that I, born and bred and raised in Lurnea, will never take for granted. But my work is not yet finished—not by a long shot. With my community's support, I look forward to playing my role in delivering the next chapter of the Albanese government and seeing my electorate and my home continue to thrive and get the attention it deserves.

House adjourned at 16:59