Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the approaching one-year anniversary of the founding of the International Parliamentary Network for Education. The network was launched last year, in September 2020, under the leadership of two founding co-chairs: Senator Dr Gertrude Musuruve Inimah, of Kenya, and Harriett Baldwin MP, of the United Kingdom. I feel very privileged to be the inaugural Oceania representative on the board, to advocate for commitments for international aid for education, but I also want to acknowledge, on the occasion of this first anniversary, the great work of my international colleagues—the Hon. Professor Julius Ihonvbere, from Nigeria; Mehnaz Akber Aziz, from Pakistan; Ibtissame Azzaoui, from Morocco; Giulio Centemero, from Italy; Blanca Ines Osuna, from Argentina; and Mike Lake, from Canada—who have worked tirelessly with me.

I also want to acknowledge the work of my colleagues here, 28 of whom have signed up, along with other parliamentarians, to be members of the International Parliamentary Network for Education. Our very significant success has been in encouraging Senator Payne, on behalf of the Australian people, to make a great commitment to the replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education. I'm very pleased that we've been able to do that work in support of Sustainable Development Goal No. 4, which is to 'ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all'. As I said, it's been a privilege to do that work.

I want to acknowledge also conversations with the Hon. Jenny Salesa, the MP from the New Zealand parliament who was raised in Tonga. I look forward to another year of good work to advance the region and expand the range of parliamentarians involved in the International Parliamentary Network for Education.