Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Up the road from my electorate office, in Richmond, is an extraordinary school that does so much more than simply provide children with an education. The Melbourne Indigenous Transition School provides greater opportunity for Indigenous students from remote and regional communities and ensures that those Indigenous students are supported culturally and emotionally while receiving a world-class education in the middle of Melbourne.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to tour the brand-new state-of-the-art boarding house and meet some of the staff, who are incredibly dedicated to their roles and are setting these kids up for their future not just academically but also socially and emotionally. Most importantly, I got to talk to some of the students who have embarked on this transformative journey.

I returned back to MITS, as it's affectionately known, last week to have dinner with the year 7 students in their boarding house. I was able to meet with a number of them, and there was one student, Adam, who had just returned from his home in Daly River, in the Northern Territory, which is around 225 kilometres from Darwin. Adam and I had a great chat about his love of sport and particularly about his love for the Melbourne Football Club, the Melbourne Demons. Unfortunately the Melbourne Demons are not associated with MITS; it's in fact the Richmond Football Club that's associated with MITS, so that caused some tension! But Adam has an ambition to become a plumber when he finishes school, and I have absolutely no doubt that he will get that opportunity. He is more than capable, more than set-up, not just because he wants to do it but because of the support that the MITS community is giving him.

Listening to those kids telling me about their lives, interests and ambitions made me realise how invaluable this organisation is. Because of MITS these kids live happy and stable lives in a supportive environment away from home. The dedication of staff is incredible, and I'll just say hello to some of them. To Rick, Ed, Lia and Paul, thank you so much for hosting me at MITS. I'm very much looking forward to my next visit.