Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we begin the final sitting week of the year, which may well be the final sitting week of the 47th Parliament, there is a moment for reflection and gratitude. For many outside this place, it has been a very hard year. I see it and I hear it when walking along our retail and industrial zones across the Mornington Peninsula. A few weeks ago in Rye, a store owner selling sports and fishing gear said he was 50 per cent down on where he would normally be this time of year. Another explained to me business was slow, too slow to justify taking on new staff, while being mindful the summer months would be as demanding and crushing as ever albeit on winter staff ratios. Others have closed their doors for good, like our much-loved local boutique, Fashion by Bronwyn in Somerville. Bron started her boutique in March 1980 and finally closed her doors in June this year. About a year ago she sent me an email in which she said: 'In the late eighties we had that recession. I remember clearly what it was like—high interest rates and cost-of-living increases. Many people lost their houses, jobs and businesses, and you could not sell a house for months. I had to put my staff off and work six days a week just to pay the overheads. In the end, people were just so angry that we had the change of government, when the best prime minister we have ever had—John Howard—came to power. Gradually, in the nineties the economy improved and, as we know, he remained in power for many years. At the present time, I feel like we are going full circle. Business has dried up and people are tightening the belt to pay their mortgages and bills. I know I am saying what you already know but what a sad state of affairs our beautiful country is in.'

Indeed. In Flinders I have the most resilient community on earth and also the most generous. My community is made up of volunteers. It's in their blood, whether it is Rotary, Lions, Mens Shed, RSLs, local markets, art shows, footy, netball, cricket, basketball, baseball and soccer clubs, the sailing and bowling and patong clubs—volunteerism, turn-upism, make-a-contributionism, having-a-go-ism is who we are in Flinders. We have the good fortune to live also in the most beautiful part of the world, with koalas, echidnas, banjo sharks, giant stingrays, weedy sea dragons and spider crabs likely to greet you on an afternoon walk or a morning swim. It is good for the mind and good for the soul to live amongst this nature. I was reminded of this on the weekend when I attended the Christmas celebration of the Mornington Peninsula koala conservation group, which this year, through the thick of winter, planted 25,000 trees to keep koalas content in our trees throughout the year. I thank this beautiful group and its leader, Dirk Jansen, for their tireless commitment.

But there's one man in this Christmas message that I want to specially want to recognise tonight. In my parting message to the Peninsula for this year to celebrate the end of the year from this place, this chamber, and that man is John Prentice, president of the Sorrento Portsea RSL. On Saturday night at the RSL's thank you party for members and volunteers, John Prentice passed the presidency baton to Peter Remevicus after more than a decade leading our club. John turned 79 this year. He is a retired civil engineer and a National Service Vietnam vet. John was awarded life membership of the RSL more than a decade ago in recognition of his efforts in resurrecting the Sorrento Portsea RSL sub branch following its closure due to uneconomic operations in late 2007.

When John took over the RSL it had less than 100 members. On Saturday night we celebrated more than one thousand members. Under John's leadership, the Sorrento Portsea facility has become a thriving, multi-engaged community facility that serves the entire southern Mornington Peninsula. The RSL hosts music events, from the weekly Tom Cat's performance to Fleetwood Mac and INXS revival tribute bands. It welcomes the Southern Peninsula Probus Club and has had many a celebration of its dear members' lives. The sub branch supports local schools and provides bursaries to high performing primary school children and it willingly supports state wide causes like the 2019-20 bushfires and the 2022 Rochester floods. This little RSL is now the largest by turnover and membership in category B licenced without poker machines in the Victorian RSL network. It's 1,048 members isn't bad for a township that has just over 2,000 permanent residents.

John and his wife, Jenny's, efforts have been hands-on and sustained and considerably above and beyond what anyone could expect of unremunerated volunteers. John's efforts are all the more remarkable given his ongoing battle with cancer and associated frequent chemotherapy treatments since he was first diagnosed more than a decade ago. In a time when there are equal challenges in my family, can I say it was so great to see him in all his Hawaiian shirt glory on Saturday night. He's a fine example of everything that is so good about the Mornington Peninsula—no self-indulgence, just getting on with the job of bringing world-recognised talent to our little community and making it better, not just by his presence and toil but by his very spirit. May it continue long in our midst. Merry Christmas, John and Jenny Prentice, and Merry Christmas Mornington Peninsula.