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

Western Australia is a great state to live in. Perth is a wonderful city to live in. And amongst the beautiful suburbs of Perth in Western Australia is a great place called Bayswater. This afternoon I want to call out the City of Bayswater Community Citizen of the Year and thank him on behalf of myself, on behalf of Future Bayswater and on behalf of everyone that lives in and around the Bayswater community. That gentleman, that community champion, is known as Greg Da Rui. He's a champion for better urban design, he's been a champion for urban planning, he's been a champion for the twilight markets, and he's been a champion for Bayswater's first street festival.

Importantly, he's been a champion for those people in need in the Bayswater community; he and others set up the '6053 food pantry' for people in need. Why '6053'? That is of course the postcode for Bayswater in Perth in Western Australia.

I can't remember a day when I have ever driven down King William Street, either as a child or now as a senator, where I have not seen Pharmacy 777, because Greg Da Rui is also a local businessman who cares about his community and cares about local businesses. I just want to extend our deepest appreciation for everything that he has done over recent years and that he continues to do.

As the founder of the Bayswater Traders Association, Gary Warne said, 'Greg is an absolute champion of our community.' It's a shame that we can't have many community champions like Greg Da Rui, but I use this occasion to congratulate him and to extend our thanks to his family for the support he gets from them as well.