Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Hansard source

Our communities are well supported by great charities and great not-for-profit organisations, and this morning in the Senate I will call out one of those that I am particularly fond of and that I enjoy supporting in my home community of Western Australia. Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren is a wonderful organisation that since 1998, following a simple advertisement in the community newspaper, has been providing much-needed respite and support for those grandparents in our community who have the full-time caring responsibility of their grandchildren. In particular, I congratulate Alan Hoffman, who has been elected as the new president, Dianne Franklyn, who has been elected as the Vice President, Jan McGillivray as the treasurer, and Philip Etherington as the secretary.

For a number of years, this Senate has given careful consideration to the interests, concerns and welfare of grandparents rearing grandchildren across our country. I'm delighted that Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren in Western Australia continues to be a very strong organisation that provides much-needed care and support, social exercises and community involvement to those many, many grandparents across our country who are now having to face the responsibility of rearing their grandchildren 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

I also applaud the Country Women's Association of Western Australia, who is joining with Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren in WA to support the great work they do in providing much-needed support to those grandparents who are providing care for their grandchildren in regional and remote Western Australia. This is a great initiative and it's one that I'm very pleased to support.

Finally: as I launch my annual Christmas appeal today, I am delighted that Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren will again be the beneficiary of that, as will the Salvation Army in Balga.