Address-in-Reply
Address-in-Reply
Motion
Resumed from an earlier stage of the sitting.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai (Oakford—Parliamentary Secretary) (2:48 pm): Mr Speaker, I rise as the newly minted member for Oakford. May I start in my address in reply for the 42nd Parliament of Western Australia by acknowledging your position as Speaker, member of Forrestdale—
The Speaker: Forrestfield, mate. Forrestdale is yours!
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: Forrestfield, sorry Mr Speaker! Forrestdale is mine. Forrestdale is definitely in my electorate. As I said, it was a pleasure to be elected to Parliament with you in 2017 and to watch you ascend into the role of being the Speaker of the House in the 42nd Parliament. My many congratulations to you in the way you have been addressing the first week of Parliament. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch you control both sides of the house, particularly the people in the opposition. What can I say? Welcome to Parliament House to all the newly elected members on both sides of the house. To everybody else who has come in on a re-elected commitment from their communities, we stand in the house of the people. This place brings with it a tremendous amount of privilege and honour.
As members all know, my journey started in this place in 2017 until this day, my third term in government, now as the member for Oakford. I am truly humbled and privileged. I say a massive thankyou to the families and representatives in Oakford for electing me to this place to represent their values and visions and the plans that I bring to this house in this four-year term now as the member for Oakford.
I also take this opportunity to congratulate the Premier, Hon Roger Cook, member for Kwinana, and members of his cabinet who have commenced the 42nd Parliament in a tremendous fashion, taking their agenda to the people of Western Australia with a very strong focus on being extremely prudent in their vision of how to manage the finances for the people of Western Australia, along with the very creative ambition of making sure that things are now manufactured and very proudly made in Western Australia by the people of Western Australia. It is an absolutely clear vision that will go forth from where we stand today in the 42nd Parliament to a decade into the future when we look at all the major projects and initiatives to encourage manufacturing. We have seen the first lot of trains that proudly stand symbolised with the logo of Made in WA. That is one of the clear initiatives that has laid the foundation for manufacturing of Western Australian goods and services, again, by the people of Western Australia.
I stand proud as part of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, headed by its state secretary, Steve McCartney, who, as members know, has been a prominent advocate for making sure that we bring rail manufacturing back to Western Australia. Again, as I stand here today as the newly minted member for Oakford, I take this opportunity to acknowledge Hon Bob Kucera, who is in the Speaker's gallery, along with other members and family members who are also here today looking forward to hearing some of the newly minted members of this 42nd Parliament give their inaugural speeches.
I share with the member for Mount Lawley that he fills the shoes of the former member for Mount Lawley, Simon Millman, who, as members know, is very much loved and respected as a very strong local member. The new member for Mount Lawley has surely blended in quite seamlessly into that role and has accepted the love and respect from the community of Mount Lawley. As the new member knows, Simon Millman and I have been roommates in Parliament House for the last eight years. Coming back to the 42nd Parliament and not having Simon in the same arena is almost as though my right arm does not exist. But as the member for Mount Lawley knows, he shares many of the good characters that Simon brought to this place in his time delivering for the people of Mount Lawley. I wish the member all the very best in his endeavours in representing the people of Mount Lawley.
I refer to the member for Jandakot, Stephen Pratt. Stephen and I go back to 2011, when my first experience of the democratic process was being elected as a councillor in the City of Cockburn. Stephen was very much a fresh-faced 20-something-year-old in the early years. He was also an electorate officer for the now Premier, Hon Roger Cook. Stephen and I were on the council together. It was my very first experience of being a representative of the local community in Cockburn east ward. There were about 20,000 electors in the east ward. It is a pretty large ward within the circumference of local government and the wards that exist. As I said, Stephen was a young, fresh-faced representative from the central ward. I have watched him grow over the years. I believe he has now lost his title of being "honourable", has he not? Stephen, that is not happy news for you!
Several members interjected.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: He is not honourable anymore! Stephen, that has been scratched off the list. You are back to being a member of the Legislative Assembly now, without the perks of being an honourable member. It is just jokes; Stephen knows that!
Stephen now stands as the representative of an electorate that I have had the pleasure and the privilege to represent since 2017, over the last two terms of government. It has been an absolute honour. Jandakot is one of those electorates that has had a tremendous amount of growth. To give this house and the people an example of how Jandakot was as an electorate in 2017, through the distributions, part of the electorate now goes into the newly created seat of Oakford. To members of this house, in a way, it is a very proud moment to share the experience I have encountered being a member of Parliament.
"Mr Jandakot" is back in town! The honourable—he is not honourable anymore!—member for Jandakot is here. I have been describing him quite fondly, as members know. He is back in his seat; it is good to see him. I look forward to his maiden speech in the lower house. I was just describing to the house the past and present that we share. I now proudly stand here, describing my eight years representing the people of Jandakot, and I gave the house a brief summary.
Member, you may cross between me and the chair. Dave, behave yourself! Mr Speaker, apologies for that. My learned friend and I share good humour.
Mr Dave Kelly interjected.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: He catches me in a vulnerable position, Mr Speaker—no pun intended!
Coming back to the member for Jandakot and I, for the last eight years—
Several members interjected.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: I am going to pause for a second, Mr Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: I have certainly been put in a position whereby I am blushing. My face is becoming different shades of I do not know what, but I apologise, Mr Speaker. I want to tell members why I stand on my feet right now, completely filibustering, and it is a confession to members of this house. My Address-in-Reply speech was not even close to what I am talking about now, because I was supposed to be speaking in weeks to come. There is a reason I am on my feet, and it is a lesson for everyone on this side of the house to really know the facts and the truth. The consequence I face as I stand on my feet is for being disobedient. I have been disobedient in many ways other than being late to Parliament House this morning. I informed the Whip that I was late, but it did not go down quite as I perceived.
Mr John Carey interjected.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: My luck ran out, Minister for Housing and Works.
Mr David Scaife: Member, will you take an interjection?
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: I will, absolutely, member for Cockburn.
Mr David Scaife: I am just curious about the commitments that you made to your electorate.
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: Correct! I am not sure that my list outshines the member for Cockburn's list, but there are many commitments that we share in common. I will share that with the house, but, as the member knows, I am looking forward to the two inaugural speeches.
Most importantly, I want to share with the house why I am being punished in a way. I am not sure whether it is punishment, but it is something that I face as a consequence of the Whip. The rules are very strict in this place, and sometimes when you disobey those rules, you have to face some consequences. The member for Oakford in his first speech has to address those consequences. I want to publicly convey my apologies and promise to not be late again and not miss another division, because Mr Whip was really upset. He now has an ankle bracelet on my leg to monitor my every movement in this place, and there is some clear evidence in place whereby I have been given the absolute surety that the next time I miss another division or come late to Parliament, there will be adversely worse consequences. So this is a clear stand of me saying to the Whip: I apologise, Whip. I am sorry for being late to Parliament. I promise to be a bit more punctual. It puts a smile on his face, and, for me, that is his way of forgiving me!
I stand right here, right now and congratulate the two members who are about to give their inaugural speeches. To the family members and friends who are present here today in the gallery, I know how much this means to each and every one of you. Simon! How are you? It is so good to see you! The former member for Mount Lawley is right here. My right hand is back; I can feel it! I can feel my right hand. It is so good to see you, Simon. Give my love to Tara and the kids. It is always great to see you in the chamber—in the gallery now.
Mr Speaker, I will continue my contribution to the Address-in-Reply.
Again, many congratulations to you, Premier; what an outstanding result. Sadly, you face the same opposition—the same old complaints and narratives that absolutely make no sense and the repetition of baseless accusations and misguidance. My advice to opposition members is to keep it simple, guys—keep it straight. The people of Western Australian expect a lot from you, your communities expect a lot from you, and this house expects a lot from you. The opposition has slightly grown in numbers; hopefully, with that, it will have grown in merit in addressing issues. With your indulgence, Mr Speaker, I am certain that I meant to take a break and give the opportunity to those members who are yet to give their inaugural speeches.
The Speaker: Sorry, member, I thought you might like an extension!
Mr Yaz Mubarakai: Mr Speaker, I was hoping you would say that because it is the perfect way of again apologising to the Whip.
Once, again, thank you, Mr Speaker, for your indulgence.
The Speaker: I also welcome the former member for Mount Lawley, Simon Millman, who is up in the gallery. Welcome back!
(Applause.)
The Speaker: I shall now give the call to the new member for Mount Lawley.
Mr Frank Paolino (Mount Lawley) (3:01 pm): Before I commence, I would like to recognise the most entertaining delivery of the member for Oakford's Address-in-Reply. I look forward to his continuation—if there is one.
Mr Speaker, before I continue, congratulations on your appointment—your elevation to the position of Speaker.
I commence today by paying my respects to the traditional owners of the land we are on today, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. I acknowledge all elders—past, present and emerging. I recognise all First Nations people and recognise their stewardship of this great land we all call home. I accept your customs and traditions as ours, and I thank you for enriching our society with your culture.
Madam Acting Speaker (Magenta Marshall), it is indeed an honour to have this opportunity to humbly rise before you as one of the 59 elected members of this 42nd Parliament of Western Australia, and as only the seventh member for the seat of Mount Lawley. It is indeed an honour to be one of the 59 individuals who sit in this chamber, who my community chose to represent them in this Parliament. They have entrusted me with this great honour to follow in the footsteps of those who have had the privilege to come before me, individuals like us who had an unwavering desire to come together with a manifest of decency of collective spirit to serve the people of our great state and, of course, our local communities.
From the outset, allow me to acknowledge the contributions that many individuals have made that have shaped me into the person who stands before you today. They are all worthy of mention. In my heart, I wish I could name them all, but if I did there would be little time to speak of anything else. I look forward to the occasions, though, when I can again rise in this chamber throughout my term and speak about them individually—their endeavours and, of course, their achievements. However, some of them deserve special mention because they have not only contributed to my development as a person but also offered me genuine friendship and guidance while believing in my abilities to pursue my political aspirations, which have led me here today. I refer to Roger Cook; Con Sciacca; Rita Saffioti; Paul Papalia; Tony Buti; Daniel Pastorelli; David Michael; Dan Caddy; Amber-Jade Sanderson; John Carey; Reece Whitby; Nick and Vince Catania; Kim and Hannah Beazley; Senator Francesco Giacobbe; Santo Santoro; Ron Edwards; Ian Tyler; Jann McFarlane; Bob Kucera; and, of course, the former member for Mount Lawley, Simon Millman.
I particularly single out the late Con Sciacca and Nick Catania because they not only offered me their friendship and guidance but also provided me with immense encouragement and inspiration through their own stories, which I have always coupled with those provided to me by the several and the many.
However, significant others have played a central role in my life. To my immigrant grandparents, Francesco Paolino and Immacolata Di Lucchio and Antonino and Giovanna Micalizzi, and my mother, Carmela, who courageously left behind their homelands, their family and friends and everything they had come to know so that we could be given the opportunities they believed Australia could provide us. To my mother Carmela and my father Angelo, who gave us our values through their undying love, affection and never-ending commitment to provide for me, my brother Anthony and my sister Christina, who are watching online from Brisbane.
To Loretta, who has shared the journey with me, together we have brought three beautiful children into this world—Angelo, Giorgio and Gianna. They are three special humans who provide me immense pride in every satisfaction that a father could ever desire from his children.
I am the grandson of a tobacco farmer, a cleaner, a homemaker and a cabinetmaker. I am the son of an electrician, and I am the son of a social worker. I grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane in a place called Stafford Heights. Stafford Heights and the surrounding suburbs have some very strong similarities to the Mount Lawley electorate. Like many Italian–Australian families, I grew up with my grandparents living only a few hundred metres away. However, may I say that the bike ride to get from my house to theirs was somewhat of a journey as I would stop to talk to all the Italians along the way!
I must say that I became somewhat nostalgic one Saturday morning when I walked down Norfolk Street in North Perth while on the campaign trail. The smells of fresh pasta and sauce cooking in preparation for the Sunday family dinner, together with the sounds of the 1960s and 1970s Italian hit parade songs playing on the Italian radio bellowing from the homes into the streets took me back to when I was a boy growing up. That is what makes my community great—the homes, history, smells, colour of the streetscapes and, of course, the people.
I arrived here in 2008 as a state representative of the not-for-profit welfare and social assistance organisation Inas, the Italian National Institute of Social Assistance. The best way to describe this office and what I did is to call it the Italian Centrelink. Unlike others in this place, I did not come for love, but I fell in love with Western Australia. The initial connections on my arrival came from the area that I am proud to represent. For me, it is like going full circle. I remember at that time driving down streets like Walcott, Beaufort and Fitzgerald Street and recognising the development of houses and buildings that signified moments in time. It is something you can still see today. As you drive and walk down the streets, you can see the evolution of the community and the significance of landmarks like the Mount Lawley cenotaph, which is located on the corner of Queens Crescent and Clifton Avenue, and the Swan River in the east, where you can feel the spiritual presence of our nation's First People. The vibrancy of Beaufort Street has significant places of interest like the Astor Theatre and restaurants, cafes and bars. They are all representative of the enterprising will of the small business owner. A synagogue in Menora reminds us of reverence and respect. It is the old and the new. It is an area that is proud of its heritage and history, and it is here I wish to recognise the tireless work of the Mount Lawley Society. Since its founding in 1977, it has dedicated itself to the preservation of the heritage and history of Mount Lawley, Inglewood and Menora.
As Perth continued to expand during the postwar period, new areas like Yokine—a word derived from the Noongar language, meaning "dingo"—emerged around a swampy area now known as Dog Swamp, together with the neighbouring suburbs of Coolbinia, Dianella and Morley. Like many other places in Western Australia, Mount Lawley has been built by people who have come here from all over the world in search of greater opportunities that lie beyond the horizon.
It is my view that that one word—opportunity—is the common denominator that binds all migrants, from the first convicts to the last skilled worker who, with the generations that followed, wove the rich social tapestry that is Western Australia today—a beacon of multiculturalism that shines brightly for the world to admire. In other words, in the context of multiculturalism, opportunity is more than a unilateral concept. I believe the Australian social opportunity is a universal imperative of our society's cultural prosperity that is exemplified by the quality of life that we have all come to enjoy.
I believe in multiculturalism and I recognise the contribution that migrants like my grandparents have made to the socio-economic and cultural development of Mount Lawley, Western Australia. As a community volunteer of 31 years, predominantly in the Italian and wider multicultural communities of Australia, I understand the significance of multiculturalism when I say it.
Although the establishment of the seat of Mount Lawley is relatively recent, its history stretches back to the beginning of the 20th century. Since that time, Italians, Greeks, Chinese, Macedonians, Indians and Vietnamese, amongst others, have arrived here to make new lives for themselves and their families. Today, a number of those organisations exist in the Mount Lawley electorate and they are represented here in the gallery. Their legacy is still evident today, be it at the Laguna Veneto Social and Bocce Club in Dianella or the Chinese language school at Mount Lawley Senior High School on a Sunday morning, the cultural diversity of my community enriches us and underpins our modern multicultural framework that we continue to appreciate today.
I am proud to represent the Jewish community of Western Australia, the largest in our state. It is a community that continues to contribute significantly to the local community and the wider Western Australian community through their colourful culture and pursuit to raise awareness of their history through education, and their genuine spirit of friendship and respect. The Jewish influence can be found throughout our local area in places like Temple David in Mount Lawley; the JHUB on Woodrow Avenue; the suburb of Menora, which is named after the Jewish candelabra used in the celebration of Hanukkah; Freedman Road, named after Rabbi David Isaac Freedman; Breckler Park; and many other examples. As I stand here in this chamber on the eve of the Jewish festivity of Passover, I send my regards to the Jewish community of Western Australia knowing full well that I understand the difficult times that you are facing. I am with you and, like I have done with every community, I embrace you warmly and look forward to the day when peace in our communities can be restored. To the Jewish community of Western Australia, I say hag sameach—happy Passover to you all. As members can see, notwithstanding my electorate being the smallest electorate in Western Australia, Mount Lawley is a place for everyone.
Education is another important area that I am passionate about. I believe that all students should be treated equally and without distinction of background or social class. In fact, former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam said it best when he said, and I quote:
We are all diminished when any of us are denied proper education. The nation is the poorer—a poorer economy, a poorer civilisation, because of this human and national waste.
The delivery of good education is one of the most treasured gifts we could ever give our children. Mount Lawley is home to many public and private primary and secondary schools, including the Mount Lawley TAFE campus; Yokine, Sutherland Dianella, West Morley and Mount Lawley Primary Schools; the North East Metropolitan Language Centre; Sir David Brand School; Coolbinia Primary School, which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary; St Paul's Mount Lawley; Infant Jesus School in Morley; and Our Ladies Assumption School and the Banksia Montessori School, both of which are in Dianella. Mount Lawley also boasts schools of diverse culture and faith like Carmel School in Yokine and the Australian Islamic College in Dianella, both of which are within walking distance of each other. The secondary schools include Mount Lawley Senior High School and Perth College, which are among the best performing in the state. The Mount Lawley TAFE facility is a key learning institution focused on health, health services and nursing. Throughout our schools and learning centres, school principals and educators provide our children with the power of knowledge through education. I acknowledge the hard work they deliver every day so that our children can be the best they can possibly be as they walk and grow through life.
We all know that life's trajectory is not always linear but rather is characterised by trials and tribulations that impact the human mind and spirit, and disrupt the ability to prosper. Mental health is a very real and large issue for a number of Western Australians. I have experienced firsthand the impacts of mental health on men, women, children and families. I can assure members that it is hurtful and it is cruel. It has devastating outcomes for everyone, including our community, often leaving people saying, "If only I knew." I believe that the stigma around mental health is still very real in my community. That is something I want to break down as I go through my term in this place. I want to continue raising awareness through education so that we can become more adept at reading the signs so that as genuine friends to humankind, we can offer support. There is no shame in speaking out about our challenges. There is no burden.
As members can probably tell, I could speak for an incredibly long time about the things I am passionate about: housing, homelessness, the economy, health, the arts and culture, transport and infrastructure—all important areas of government—are of interest to me and my community.
(Member's time extended.)
I would like to thank the Attorney General for reminding me!
These areas of interest are important to not only me, but also my community. However, before I move on, I want to offer some reflections, if I may. Since beginning this address, I have provided members with an insight into who I am, my family and my family values, the pride of my Italian heritage, my culture and origins, and how that intertwines with my ongoing pursuit to be the best Australian I can possibly be. I have spoken about my community and my commitment to it, combined with the spirit of giving back. I believe in the importance of education, mental health, multiculturalism and in a fair and equal community, one of peace and of cohesion and respect of the rights of the individual to pursue prosperity and reach their full potential.
I commenced this address with a reflection on the past and about following in the footsteps of those before me. I mentioned Simon Millman, my predecessor, to whom I pay tribute. Simon will always be a local Mount Lawley legend. His service to the people of Mount Lawley is hallmarked by several key achievements, and I thank him for moving our community forward during his time of service. I spoke passionately about education and the importance of it here, where I moved from speaking about the past to the future. I conveyed my thoughts on opportunities. Like the past, many opportunities lie ahead. It is now my responsibility to point the way forward to the future and for the future. In the not-too-distant future, the Mount Lawley electorate will be provided with the most important transformative opportunity in its history as Edith Cowan University Mount Lawley relocates to the Perth CBD. The transformation of the site will give us the opportunity to create a new landmark—one that is visionary, that epitomises culture and the arts and, more importantly, that offers new education opportunities. It is our prerogative to seize the rare opportunity to transform a space that will continue to be beneficial to the Mount Lawley community and a destination that will be beneficial to all Western Australians. Members can therefore imagine my delight when the Cook Labor government announced a commitment to plan a new Mount Lawley west primary school as part of the future Edith Cowan University site redevelopment. This significant commitment will form part of the exciting new precinct for the broader Mount Lawley community for generations to come.
Another one of my priorities is safer roads, particularly around school precincts. Our population has grown significantly, which means there are more cars on our roads, more cyclists using our roads and more children crossing our roads. Acting Speaker, I had well over 10,000 conversations during the election campaign, and one of the most frequent positive comments I would receive was about Metronet. It was so frequent. People were saying how great it is that they could travel to the city and to the airport for almost next to nothing, or for nothing. The benefits of Metronet have positively impacted my community. Together with safer roads, as I mentioned earlier, major infrastructure projects, including a possible future expansion of Metronet, are something my community would welcome.
Those are the three large priorities that I pledge to work hard for. They are three of many, might I add, that are destined to change the face of my community and the lives of people in my community for the benefit of everybody. But all this could only happen with a Cook Labor government. The Cook Labor government has the courage to make the big calls and to do the big things. We look to the future, look towards new frontiers and find opportunities that will take communities forward. Only Labor governments can do that, because we are the ones who believe in it. I am proud to serve in the Cook Labor government. We are the party of working Western Australians for Western Australia. We always have been and we always will be. I am proud to be Labor. The role of the union movement is paramount to ensuring that workers are safeguarded against all forms of exploitation, and we are lucky in Western Australia that we have good unionists doing good things, protecting the rights of everyday Australians in multiple sectors, from construction to nursing and midwifery to hospitality and retail. I acknowledge individuals like Ben Harris, Mick Buchan, Tim Dawson, Romina Raschilla, Brad Gandy and all the secretaries of every union that operates throughout this great state and, of course, Australia. The union movement will play a significant role in our industrial landscape as long as the lives and safety of workers are threatened and their rights and their pay and conditions are in danger of being stripped from them.
Acting Speaker, hundreds of people worked on the Mount Lawley campaign to get me here as their member. They are special individuals who walked the streets with me and made phone calls for me. They came to events with me and they letterboxed for me. To all of you, I say thank you. There are no words that can describe how grateful I am for everything that you have done for me. You honoured me with your friendship and you encouraged me to do more. I could not have done any of this without you. Thank you for believing in me.
A huge group of volunteers needs leadership, and that was provided in spades by Hon Matthew Swinbourn MLC, who directed the campaign, and Klasey Hirst, who managed the campaign. I say to the campaign committee, Dane Williams, Hannah Meyer, Jeanette Anderson, Penny Taylor, Lorenza De Luca, Lyric Duckett, Kalem Hayes and Mario Di Vincenzo, and to Joanne and Ian Pindlebury, Adrian Pindlebury and, of course, Oliver Hirst: thank you, most gratefully, for your support and your untiring efforts that were dedicated to me for over 10 months.
There is another special individual. It is someone who has dedicated a lifetime to the labour movement and has now become my good mate. He is Mount Lawley local Bob Crowe. For those who followed me on social media, Bob is my wobble boarding partner. He has passed being a local Mount Lawley legend to now being a Mount Lawley wobbleboard legend! Post election, some people have been assisting me set up my office so that I could quickly get to work for the people of Mount Lawley. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Myra Robinson, Dragana Flynn and Hannah Meyer.
I hope that I have not omitted mentioning anyone who has assisted me, supported me and guided me. If I have, I extend heartfelt apologies. However, there is one person who I could never forget. It is a person who never let me give up on my dreams. He walked with me every step of the way and he is the best friend that I have in this chamber—that is, Steve Catania, the member for Midland. The member for Midland and I have had a longstanding friendship, one that has been strengthened over time by the events and circumstances that life has thrown to us. Together we have done so much, and I am very fortunate to walk into this chamber with someone who I can consider to be a friend. He is a friend amongst many but also a brother. I look forward to sharing this journey with you, member for Midland, and, of course, with all the members in this chamber here today.
I wish to conclude like I started by acknowledging my family. However, this time I would like to do it in the language of my grandparents. I am told that I am the first person to speak Italian in their inaugural speech in this chamber. The significance of paying tribute to my grandparents is not only a tribute to them but also one I convey to the entire Italian community, its migrants and their descendants. I thank the Speaker for allowing me to convey my message of gratitude in this language. For the Acting Speaker's information, the Speaker is referred to as Signor Presidente. I do not have the script for an Acting Speaker, so we are going to have to go with that.
The Acting Speaker: I will allow it.
Mr Frank Paolino: I will just go with Presidente.
Presidente desidero ringraziarla per avermi concesso l'onore di esprimere due parole in italiano per trasmettere un messaggio di ringraziamento non solo ai miei nonni ma a tutti glie emigranti della nostra comunita italiana.
Cara comunita cari italiani del Western Australia.
Se noi siamo qui oggi e' semplicaemnte grazie a voi, al vostro sacrifico, al vostro impegno per dare a noi nuovi opportunita'.
Possiamo dire solo grazie.
Lastly to the people of Mount Lawley who have elected me as their representative in an elected Cook Labor government, I am indeed humbled and immensely grateful. On 8 March, you made a clear and decisive choice by voting for the future of our local area. It was a decision of faithful consciousness that will never be taken for granted. I will always look after your interests and those of our community, and for that I say thank you.
(Applause.)
Ms Jodie Hanns (Collie–Preston—Parliamentary Secretary) (3:32 pm): Thank you, Madam Acting Speaker. I appreciate the member for Mount Lawley and this joyous occasion for him. I am very used to talking over the top of noisy classrooms, so I will continue to make my contribution while the member for Mount Lawley continues his congratulations.
I begin my Address-in-Reply by acknowledging that I was privileged to be re-elected as the member for Collie–Preston for my second term in the 2025 election. As I said, I am a former teacher and deputy principal of nearly 30 years and it is an absolute privilege to have been able to step away from that career and move into this really important work, representing the people of Collie–Preston. I thank them for their faith and for returning me to represent them in this second term for me.
I remember receiving a bit of a pep talk from the previous Premier, Hon Mark McGowan, when the class of 2021 was first elected to this place. He absolutely made us very aware of what a privilege it is to put your faith and your trust into people and for that faith and trust to be returned. He said that you actually win a seat and this seat represents the nearly 30,000 people who cast their votes. Ultimately, you are the person chosen to represent those people; that is not lost on me. It is something that I really love—for those new members of Parliament, congratulations on being elected—and is something that I carry every day in the work that I do. It is incredibly important. Saying all of that, I will absolutely spend every day going forward doing the hard work that my constituents need to be done on behalf of them and my community.
I will touch very briefly on the ability to thank my campaign team and particularly my volunteers who gave up time on pre-poll and also polling day to do that gruelling work. I do not know who still thinks it is a great idea to have elections in March. I think there might be bipartisan support to change that! That is a whole other conversation for a whole other day. I would like to say thank you, again, to those volunteers and to my campaign team. I thank my mum. She is listening online today. She put in outstanding work behind the scenes as well, pulling together rosters and making sure people knew where to turn up to on polling day. Thank you. Thank you to my husband, Jason, who will be on night shift tonight, so he will not be listening in to this speech today; to my son; and just to make life difficult in a campaign, my daughter, who decided to get accepted into the University of Newcastle and commenced at the beginning of February, which was not particularly great timing. We had to send her over to the Eastern States and get her set up with accommodation. I look forward to visiting her this weekend for the first time since she has moved.
I know that members on all sides of politics have incredible volunteers and people who are absolutely committed to the campaign. I want to say a huge thank you to a very special woman, Allison Sawyer, who gave up her time. Over two weekends that woman single-handedly walked 30 kilometres to doorknock my electorate alongside myself and my volunteers. I think that speaks volumes about the people who step up to support us in our campaigns. I want to say a huge thank you. I am not singling her out, but I think that is a magnificent effort. Thank you to everybody else. I will not go through and name them all because I have too many to name one by one, but certainly to Sally Talbot and to Katrina Stratton, who were the directors of my campaign; Natasha Putland, the manager of my campaign; and to Adam Gilbride and Gemma Stewart who also assisted so well during the campaign.
I know that he is not in the chamber at the moment, but the Speaker is very dear to me and to my family. The Speaker is a former Harvey Senior High School student, as am I and as is the member for Dawesville. We represent the South West Region particularly well in our long-entrenched family histories within those areas. The Speaker actually worked with my father, who has now passed away, and my dad used to claim that he taught the Speaker everything he knew—certainly not in a parliamentary sense, but as a proud member of the Australian Workers' Union. The Speaker and my father had a very longstanding association, both working at Alcoa at Wagerup. On behalf of my family, my mum online and obviously my dad, I take the opportunity to formally congratulate the Speaker on his role, and to all the other people assisting him, the Deputy Speaker and the Acting Speakers. You do an incredible job, so thank you very much.
I also want to reflect on the idea that my community of Collie–Preston is varied. A number of local governments sit within my electorate: the Shire of Collie, the Shire of Capel, the Shire of Dardanup, the Shire of Harvey and the Shire of Donnybrook–Balingup. Balingup has joined the electorate. It was previously sitting within the electorate of Warren–Blackwood. I am really pleased to be able to support that. I want to highlight the fact that my community of Collie has, through no fault of our own, been drawn into the debate that has been happening around Australia. This week or late last week this debate was made personal, because the Leader of the National Party, David Littleproud MP, made it personal and called out the election results for Collie–Preston, saying that I had lost Collie in that election outcome. In fact, that is not correct and a journalist in the South West recently corrected that on her X account.
Collie resoundingly supported me at the election. I could table the results for your interest, Acting Speaker. But I think this is a debate that we have not asked to be part of, and it is certainly a debate that I and my community have been drawn into. It is a federal government issue, but it is very real and it is very personal for me and my community.
Obviously, many people will be aware that the debate that my community has been drawn into is the nuclear debate. There has been no consultation and there is absolutely no mandate for nuclear in my community, let alone the fact that nuclear will not work for the South West Interconnected System for many reasons, which I do not have time to go through today. My husband works at Muja power station and he is acutely aware of the ageing coal-fired infrastructure at Collie and the fact that nuclear is just not doable with the current infrastructure. I can tell members that he works on the ageing power stations, deals with the outages and makes sure that they have the authority to do repairs. They are just not going to get us through to a nuclear future, even if it was viable in Western Australia, which it is not.
The other really interesting topic that a lot of people ask me about in that nuclear debate is water. Obviously, nuclear power stations use a lot of water. For those members who are not aware, there is not a lot of water around Collie. Certainly, most nuclear power stations around the world are located near major water bodies. People ask me: What will happen if a nuclear power station is situated in Collie? Where will the water come from? Will it come from the agricultural industry? They are really good questions, but they are not ones that I can answer. The first and most important use in a nuclear power station is water for cooling. It is a huge challenge, and that is only one of the reasons why this is just not viable.
The thing that is really interesting to me is that the member for Vasse said today that she was very happy that Peter Dutton MP, the federal Leader of the Opposition, had visited her community to discuss the Busselton Margaret River Airport commitment. The member for Roe also mentioned one of the ministers—I cannot remember who he was referring to; I was not succinct with my notes. He accused this minister of sneaking into the electorate on Melbourne Cup Day. I do not recall who it was.
The Acting Speaker: The member for Baldivis.
Ms Jodie Hanns: It was the member for Baldivis; thank you.
It is very interesting that we had Peter Dutton MP sneaking into Collie for a meeting with the council and sneaking out again and not meeting with the community, so I thought it was a bit rich to accuse ministers on our side of the things that they were accused of today.
Interestingly, I draw the member's attention to today's edition of the Collie River Valley Bulletin. Mr Dutton was asked for comment about Collie and whether or not he was going to come to Collie and address the community on the issue of nuclear. I quote:
Mr Dutton said he has been to Collie before, and that during the campaign he will not be able to visit all seven locations around the country proposed … under the Coalition's plan.
"I do know that when you speak to people in regions, including in the Hunter and NSW … they know, the workers there know, that when coal comes to an end, there is no shopping mall to work in, there's no barista course that they can take that's going to give them a job to provide support to their family …
"They know that heavy industry will leave, the steel manufacturing can't survive without secure and reliable energy. The local foundry doesn't work without the base of that industry in place.
"So, they know that what we're offering is the ability to transform those communities to build it up as we're seeing in the US."
Let us unpick that a little bit. Firstly, what he is actually saying, unless I am reading this wrong—I am interpreting this—is that he is not likely to come to Collie. That is pretty clear in his answer to the paper. Secondly, he has no idea about the Cook Labor government's plan for Collie and the just transition for our community. That is a whole other speech for another day. I will try to address some of those things in the time that I have today. The really concerning allusion here—I say "allusion" not "illusion", but maybe it is an illusion; maybe it is both—is to communities like mine being transformed like we are seeing in the United States. I will let that rest and pass no comment, because, again, there is a whole other conversation to be had about that.
It is with those comments that I am really proud to stand here as the local member for Collie–Preston. I am a fierce advocate for my community and I will stand up and fight for my community. I have been doing it for four years and I will do it for the next four years. As parliamentary secretary, I was delighted to be chosen by the Premier to work with Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation; Manufacturing; Skills and TAFE; and Pilbara. They are all things that I am particularly passionate about. Talking about skills and TAFE, I was a vocational education and training coordinator in schools. My job for a number of years was to match students with job opportunities in the VET sector within the local area and make sure that they had the training opportunities and the workplace experience to take up apprenticeships and traineeships in our local community. It is exactly the model of things that we have a plan to do under the Cook Labor government's mandate for Made in WA. It is all around manufacturing, local job opportunities and opportunities to gain skills and employment within local communities. That is absolutely everything that we are looking to achieve and deliver within the next four years.
I am particularly interested to talk about the residential battery scheme. In the doorknocking that I did in the lead-up to the campaign, it proved to be something that people raised with me. People said that it was great and that they had solar panels on their roofs. We know that 40% of people in Western Australia have solar panels on their rooftops. People said to me that they would love it if the government could provide a rebate to install household battery storage systems. Being an active local member, I absolutely took that feedback to the Minister for Energy at the time, Hon Reece Whitby. On the day that the announcement was made about the energy storage systems, I got an email from a constituent whom I remember having this conversation with and whom I promised I would tell the Minister for Energy that it was his idea, as well as lots of other people who had given me feedback. That constituent took the time to email me and said, "Jodie, I hope that I was a little tiny part of that initiative, because this is going to help my household and so many other households like mine." That is the power of being a local member—to be able to take feedback from your local community, advocate for it within government and deliver on the ideas that are generated by local people in local communities. It has been part of the most amazing four years that I have had in any career.
I want to talk about some of the amazing opportunities that we will be giving my community through our election commitments. As I said, delivering on those election commitments over the next four years is my absolute priority. I want to place on record one of the projects that I am really proud of, and I am so sorry that I do not have enough time to go through each one of these today.
Mr Terry Healy: You can seek an extension.
Ms Jodie Hanns: I could seek an extension; that is a really good idea. Thank you, Whip.
(Member's time extended.)
Ms Jodie Hanns: The Leschenault Leisure Centre is on the border of Collie–Preston and Murray–Wellington, but certainly my constituents in Eaton and Australind use the Leschenault Leisure Centre on a regular basis for netball, basketball and swimming. We made a commitment of $15.5 million to construct new courts and new spectator seating and to upgrade the change rooms at the Leschenault Leisure Centre. The netball and basketball competitions in that area are huge and they had outgrown the facility's ability to cater for local sports.
On 20 February the Premier, former member for Murray–Wellington Robyn Clarke and I went along to the Leschenault Leisure Centre to announce the funding. We were there with a number of the sporting teams that are going to benefit from this. The outstanding reception that we got on that election commitment was pretty exciting actually. It must have been such a good idea that I note that the now member for Murray–Wellington announced the same funding amount for the same project the day after the Premier, the former member and I had been there. I would like to make sure that I place on record the fierce advocacy of the former member for Murray–Wellington on this project. She had been trying to secure this commitment for a period of time and I am really pleased she was able to do that. The constituents that she served will be the beneficiaries of that particular project.
I would also like to touch on the Collie transition package because a huge amount of work is being done by the government in support of Collie's transition. With a further $30 million commitment in the 2025 election, our government has now funded $692 million towards the transition of Collie and its economy. Collie is a proud coalmining town. It has been responsible for stimulating the economy of Western Australia for decades and decades. We have supplied the power that allowed industries to develop, households to develop, communities to develop and local economies to develop over a significant period. As I referred to previously, those ageing coal-fired power stations will need replacing. I always say there are two transitions happening for Collie. One is the energy system, but the other one, which is the heart of the transition, is that of the community and its workers. It is that focus that the Cook Labor government has around, yes, securing the energy needs of Western Australia but absolutely making sure that the people of Collie and the people of Collie–Preston more broadly have local, well-paid, ongoing jobs and will have a thriving community for decades to come. I am really proud of the work that we have done around this.
Some of the new commitments around that, as I said, includes $30 million being added to the just transition funding for Collie. As an example, late last year the Premier announced that $134 million out of that fund would be used to generate opportunities for industrial lands. That is to put in the essential services and infrastructure required at the Coolangatta site to be able to make sure it is ready for industries when they are ready to commence. Some of those industries are already working towards the planning, and obviously employment of local people. It is very heartening to be able to have these things already in planning and ready to be delivered in preparation for the just transition and the final closure of the government owned coal-fired power stations by 2029.
Another new initiative includes a Tesla remanufacturing facility and the government has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Tesla around this. I am not sure whether members are aware that the biggest factory in Collie at the moment is Neoen, established by a French company that has installed Tesla batteries. Operations have commenced and they are already in the system, storing solar energy that is generated by rooftop solar during the day. It discharges into the peak period in the evenings. Stage 2 is already underway. The actual footprint of the Neoen big battery is made up of hundreds and hundreds of units that will need servicing and remanufacturing. That is what the Tesla remanufacturing facility is all about. Stage 1 of the battery is already doing its work, today probably. I have not looked at the figures today for the grid, but stage 1 is able to have 877 megawatt hours of storage. It was commissioned in October 2024. Stage 2, which is already underway, has 1,363 megawatt hours of storage. The current battery storage through just the Neoen project alone has a four-hour storage peak. It is already providing storage of 20% of the average demand in the South West Interconnected System. These are incredible numbers. That renewable industry will probably be a cornerstone of some of the work that people in Collie and the surrounding areas receive as part of the just transition.
There is also the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Hub, which I want to talk about very briefly because it ties in incredibly well and is one of the hallmarks of the Made in WA strategy that the Cook Labor government will be pursuing in this next term of government. Western Power has been announced as the anchor tenant. There are two locations—Forrestfield and Picton in the South West. Western Power will be, as I said, the anchor tenant, but it will be looking to manufacture the poles and wires associated with the network expansion that will happen over the next five to 10 years within Western Australia. I just wanted to say what a huge game changer that was when I was talking to people in the lead-up to the election. I think the announcement about AMTECH was only made in the last two or three weeks of the campaign, but the interest that it generated over that period was incredible. In places like Australind and Eaton, we see a lot of FIFO workers, as there are around the state. A lot of them are younger people who are looking to get married and have families and pay off the mortgage. The incredible interest around the AMTECH project was from people who are currently FIFO workers. When I explained to them the opportunities that would be available through that work and the types of jobs that the precinct will be seeking, I could really see the penny drop about the fact that they might actually not have to do FIFO. If they have a young family, they can be home every night with their partner and kids. It is an absolutely incredible opportunity for the South West and I really look forward to seeing where that opportunity takes us. As I said, Western Power is the anchor tenant and the idea is that there will be a broader precinct there that attracts other like industries to locate there.
I want to talk very quickly about the Collie Mine Workers Institute. In the absence of a town hall in Collie, the Collie Mine Workers Institute is an absolute institution in the town. I was trying to find a different word without it sounding too punny. I always walk into that beautiful hall and say, "If only the walls could speak" because it is absolutely gorgeous. It was the home of the early union movement in Collie. I can only imagine it. Mick Murray, former member for Collie–Preston, certainly told me stories of the scraps and arguments that were had. I think he used to say there was blood on the walls and those sorts of things in the early days of the open-cut mining. The institute is now widely used within the community for dance concerts. As I said, we do not have a town hall. Local schools hold their graduation ceremonies there. There are weddings there and all sorts of community events. The Cook Labor government made a commitment of $1 million towards the upgrade of that hall. That is something that the community is really committed to delivering on. A group of people is working on making sure that we can work through some of the issues around that, including the ownership of the hall. It is actually owned by an organisation that no longer exists because the constitution of the institute is so old. We have a lot of work to do as a community, but absolutely everybody just cannot wait to restore that hall to its former glory.
Just very quickly, as a former teacher, I also want to talk about the incredible commitments that we have made to education. In fact, there is $3.4 million worth of commitments for schools in Collie–Preston, one of which is Donnybrook District High School. The former Minister for Education, Minister Buti, was a strong advocate for this particular project, as was I around—
Dr Tony Buti: You were a massive advocate.
Ms Jodie Hanns: Again, at election time we get the opportunity to say that these facilities are incredibly important to our local community and we are able to deliver on those things. Donnybrook District High School will receive $1.8 million worth of upgrades. That is really important to the local community. That school goes from kindy to year 10 and supports a wonderful community in Donnybrook and Balingup. Dardanup Primary School will also receive a $1.4 million upgrade to the air conditioning and a number of other smaller upgrades. Again, I appreciate the time, and I really look forward to the member for Jandakot's inaugural speech, so I will draw my comments to a close. I thank the Deputy Speaker for the opportunity today.
The Deputy Speaker: Member for Jandakot, may I pay my congratulations to you in this new role and in the new house.
Mr Stephen Pratt (Jandakot) (4:00 pm): Thank you very much.
Deputy Speaker, I begin my remarks by acknowledging the Noongar people, particularly the Whadjuk people, as the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today and every day we sit in this place for the years to come. I pay my respect to elders past, present and emerging and give thanks to those I have been privileged to work alongside already in my time as a member of Parliament in the other place and previously as a councillor at the City of Cockburn. I acknowledge the member for Forrestfield on his election as Speaker of this place and congratulate him on that appointment. In that vein, I extend my congratulations to all new members of the Parliament, whom I look forward to getting to know a little better over the years to come. I also take the opportunity to congratulate the members for Butler and Mount Lawley on their magnificent inaugural speeches this week. They have certainly made me more anxious about delivering my second inaugural speech. Finally, I place on the record the enormous sense of pride I have in being able to contribute to a Cook Labor government.
Being in this place gives me a new and previously unavailable opportunity to personally thank our Premier, Roger Cook, as we are finally sitting in the same chamber as each other. We go way back. It was an honour to work in his electorate office for over nine years in opposition, then as a senior adviser in his office as Deputy Premier and Minister for Health; Mental Health, and for the past four years in the other place. I know him well. He is an honest, hardworking and visionary leader with immense loyalty to the people of Western Australia. I have on occasion referred to him as the "Energizer Bunny". He just keeps going and going! Most importantly, our shared loyalty and commitment is powered by the values of the Labor Party: fairness, opportunity and standing up for working people and those who are most vulnerable in our society. It has always been unwavering. I intend to bring that same commitment to the people of Jandakot every single day.
The people of Western Australia also recognise the strength of Roger Cook and the WA Labor team, as is evidenced by the returned Labor majority government for a historic third term. The election campaign that was run boiled down to a simple message: by creating and maintaining a strong economy, we can invest in essential services and community infrastructure and provide cost-of-living support. It was a vision to make life better for everyday Western Australians, and that is why we all come to this place. I am honoured to be part of a team that will work every day to deliver on that commitment.
I realise more than anybody how lucky I am to be standing in this chamber today. Four years ago, I was fortunate to be elected to the other chamber after being number four on the WA Labor ticket for the South Metropolitan Region. Having given one of these inaugural speeches before, I am not exactly sure how to refer to this one. I know it is customary to spend some time talking about oneself as a way of introducing oneself to the Parliament. However, given the alternative path that I have trodden to arrive in this place—quite literally, down the corridor—I hope to also bring a different approach.
I have been very fortunate to spend the last four years with the guidance and wisdom of people such as Hon Sue Ellery, who delivered a brilliant valedictory speech on Tuesday afternoon this week. I congratulate her for the amazing contribution that she has made to Western Australia through her time as a member of Parliament. I have huge respect for the members who sit in the other place from all political persuasions and will always cherish the experience of working with them. I make special mention of President Hon Alanna Clohesy, Hon Stephen Dawson and Hon Jackie Jarvis, who will lead our team in the other place, along with Hon Matthew Swinbourn and all members of our party in that place. The experience has taught me the importance of turning words into action, because, after all, in time, that is how we will all be judged. So, as I skip over the biography bit of my speech and instead encourage members to have a read of my inaugural speech from the other place—it is a good read—I hope to go some way to making one very important point, and that point is this: today is not about me. Rather, it is about the close to 30,000 people of the Jandakot electorate who have placed their faith in me and a Labor government to represent them in this place. I am acutely aware that not every one of those 30,000 people voted for me or our party, but I will work for every single one of them to make Jandakot an even better place to live, work and raise a family.
As I assume the title of member for Jandakot from the one and only Yaz Mubarakai, the new member for Oakford, I congratulate and thank Yaz, who represented the electorate for eight years. He will of course now become the first-ever member for the new seat of Oakford, and I am pleased to be able to carry on the work he started. As mentioned earlier in his interesting contribution in this place, we both served as councillors at the City of Cockburn before he went on to bigger and better things and I decided to try to chase that dream. I believe that Jandakot should never be underestimated. It makes a big financial, commercial and community contribution to our economy. It is the home of important infrastructure like Jandakot Airport and Perth Markets; significant community services such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the RAC Rescue helicopter service and Good Sammy Enterprises; and businesses that are driving our economy here in WA, like the Amazon fulfilment centre, Fremantle Steel Group, and, of course, who could forget the WA icon, Tony Galati and the Galati family's Spudshed. But all these things on top of the many schools, community groups, sporting clubs and multicultural groups are only part of the picture of Jandakot.
To really understand the electorate, one has to get out and visit the suburbs, each with their own identity, because that is really what makes a community a community. Having now walked the entirety of the electorate, I know each suburb very well and know that each suburb has its own identity and needs. I have made some great connections along the way, with people like Darryl Munro in Atwell, who is heavily involved with the Jandakot Jets Junior Football Club; Peter Hoe in Leeming, who helps to bridge gaps across multicultural communities; Dr James Paratore, who works in Canning Vale as a general practitioner; or Lani Slaughter in Treeby, who runs the community association there. I am so glad that I have been able to meet these people and that the people of Jandakot have chosen me to represent them in this place.
However, the successful result on 8 March 2025 did not just happen by chance. It required a mountain of effort. In fact, when it was put to me that I should be the WA Labor candidate for Jandakot, there were a lot of unknowns. I knew it was going to be a challenge. A significant boundary redistribution was applied in 2023, with the creation of the neighbouring seat of Oakford. It meant that 41% of electors who were previously in Jandakot had now been moved to Oakford, primarily from the suburbs of Forrestdale, Harrisdale and Piara Waters. The new electorate of Jandakot inherited patches from the neighbouring electorates of Cockburn and Riverton. The electorate of Jandakot would now span seven suburbs in five different local government areas, have three federal members and gain new parts of Leeming, Atwell and Banjup. There was a lot of ground to cover, and cover it we did. Leading up to the campaign, we got out and spoke to as many local residents as possible. Doorknocking is not something that comes naturally to me; however, the more doors I knocked on, the more energy I got.
People were incredibly welcoming and friendly, and I was encouraged and driven by this. I give special thanks to those residents who offered me a cool drink on the hot days. As I moved around the electorate listening to people and visiting clubs and businesses to understand more about the community, one thing became abundantly clear; that is, Jandakot is the electorate of opportunity in Western Australia with the development that is already scheduled to occur with Metronet stations at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road. The Cook Labor government is getting on with the job of delivering the Metronet system. Its ongoing commitment to public transport is one of the most glaringly obvious differences between our side and that of the opposition. I look forward to being at the opening of both these projects.
Another project is the women's and babies' hospital, which will be on the doorstep of the electorate in the Murdoch health and knowledge precinct. During my doorknocking, residents shared with me their excitement for that project. Another project about which there is plenty of excitement—it is not necessarily a government project as it has been invested in by private investors—is the new wave park, which has been on quite a journey from its original plan. As I went around the electorate, it was amazing to see people from different demographics showing interest in it, including those who used to surf and who want somewhere safe to surf, and it will be just up the road.
AUKUS has been mentioned several times this week in this place. It will be supported by the commitments of the Cook Labor government, including the widening of the southbound lanes on Kwinana Freeway—I know that residents in Atwell are especially excited about that—cheaper public transport; the very popular student assistance payment that the Cook government is wasting no time in implementing; and, of course, the commitment to free TAFE and an expanded range of fee-free TAFE courses. I am very proud of the commitments that we have made for the area. I look forward to working to deliver the new Treeby East primary school at a cost of $55 million. Amazingly, this relatively new suburb already has a primary school that is close to capacity. We are planning for the future needs of that community.
The government has also made a $2.6 million commitment in Atwell for upgrades to the Atwell Reserve multisport pavilion, which came about as a result of the strong advocacy of people like Daryl Monroe and Lee McIntyre from the football club and the huge growth in women's participation in Aussie Rules football in recent years. A similar project will be undertaken for the Bullcreek Leeming Amateur Football Club. Its members were in my ear for the 12 months leading up to the election. They did the work and put a plan together. We were able to get a commitment from the local government, which made our job even easier. I went to the club with the Premier to announce that project. After he departed, I had a lot of fun kicking a few goals. If members have the time, they might be able to find the video on my Facebook page. It was a lot of fun—kicking goals for Jandakot!
The Cooling our Schools initiative will see Canning Vale Primary School receive a much-needed upgrade to its air-conditioning system. Again, thinking ahead about the new community that is growing in the suburb of Jandakot, we have made a commitment of $8 million to a Prinsep Park sporting complex—a contribution towards the construction of a new sporting facility in that location. I look forward to working with the City of Cockburn to see that project come to fruition.
For several months leading up to the election, some local residents in Leeming, especially Mr Con Abbott and Ian and Gail Chadwick, as well as local councillor Jen Spanbroek and the City of Melville were in my ear seeking funding to make Farrington Road a safer place for people to cross. I was very pleased that the government was able to commit funding towards a signalised crossing near Leeming Forum and Leeming Senior High School. I made a commitment to deliver a new outdoor learning space and nature play area for the education support centre at Atwell College. I thank Minister Buti and the Premier for joining me and I give credit to principal Darren Payton and deputy principal Brent Passchier, who are extremely passionate about the work they do in the education support centre. This project will be for the entire school. It is a great project that I look forward to delivering.
The government will also contribute funds towards Good Sammy for upgrades to its training facilities in Canning Vale. This will provide a more inclusive experience for employees, trainees and guests. Kane Blackman and the team at Good Sammy do great work supporting Western Australians of all ages and abilities to achieve their employment goals and provide affordable items for those who need them across our community.
The Nicholson Road and Warton Road intersection upgrade has been a touchy subject for many years. The former member for Jandakot, who is the new member for Oakford, knows this all too well. It is fantastic that the Cook Labor government will finally deliver on this promise, as well as its $12.5 million commitment towards the Canning Vale sporting complex. There is a bit of a theme with some of my commitments; members can tell I am keen on my local community sporting clubs. For many years, the large mix of community sporting clubs in Canning Vale have had to play games not knowing where their home ground will be from week to week, using Clifton Oval, Canning Vale Oval and Ranford Oval. They will finally have a home base. I know they will all be very happy about this. I especially want to give credit to Brendan Fowler and Trent Bettesworth from the senior cricket club who played a particularly strong role in advocating for that project. As I said, I am clearly passionate about community sport. I want to make sure that clubs in Jandakot have access to good-quality equipment and facilities. I know the impact that our local public schools have on our children's lives, so I made a commitment to every school within the electorate. I look forward to supporting and working with all the P&C groups that do such valuable work in our school communities.
I have a keen interest in several policy areas. The first is health. Deputy Speaker, I seek an extension of time because I can see the Attorney General panicking!
(Member's time extended.)
Mr Stephen Pratt: My interest in health stems from my work in the Premier's electorate office when he was the shadow Minister for Health, during which time my passion and knowledge of this area continued to grow. WA has the largest health jurisdiction in the world. We need to be at the forefront of innovation and new technology to manage this unique landscape and the challenges that it presents. I welcome the decision to increase the focus on health across government by making several ministers responsible for different areas of focus across our health system. I have been involved in the Parliamentary Friends of Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases with Hon Matthew Swinbourn and Hon Donna Faragher over the past four years. I have met some inspirational people through the work of that group, such as Dr Gareth Baynam and Andrew Bannister, and I thank them for their ongoing efforts.
I single out organ donation as an area of interest and the lifesaving opportunity that it provides. Some amazing stories were shared in 2023 when WA hosted the World Transplant Games. Medical research and innovation is another area of health that fascinates me. There are a number of organisations and brilliant minds here in WA carrying out groundbreaking research. I have had the privilege of being involved in the Bryant Stokes Neurological Research Fund and working in collaboration with the Perron Institute and the Sarich family. My experience as an adviser in Health during COVID was invaluable. I take this opportunity to remind everyone of the great job our government did during that time of uncertainty, led by Premier Mark McGowan and Deputy Premier; Minister for Health at the time, Roger Cook.
I am strongly of the belief that more needs to be done in combating false and misleading health information online. The online sharing of incorrect information can be very dangerous, and the negative impacts can be widespread. There are so many people across the WA community working to improve health and mental health outcomes. I had supported causes, such as the Kai-Fella foundation, the Mackie Cup, the Barbarians Group, Happiness Co, the Women and Infants Research Foundation and local sporting clubs when they hold their mental health and breast cancer awareness rounds, just to name a few.
As many of my colleagues have mentioned, education and training are areas that always require significant attention. As a dad with three young children, I witness every day the importance of good quality public education. In my inaugural speech in the other place, I committed to visit every TAFE in the South Metropolitan Region, and I did. It opened my eyes to the many opportunities available to people who want to upskill or enter a particular vocation. Our investment in these facilities, combined with the range of free TAFE courses, makes it a very attractive proposition for anyone looking to upskill for their future career or for those looking to change their profession.
I did not mention my past experience in the other place in my inaugural speech but which I think is worthy of mention today, given that I now have a second go at this. An early job in my teenage years and during university included working at a video shop called Video Ezy. I had to explain to my daughters what a video store was. I had the pleasure of being a dishie at Cicerello's in Fremantle. A fun fact is that my godfather was Steve Cicerello. There was something special about working there for a time. I used to walk straight from school, Christian Brothers College in Fremantle, to the local public Fremantle golf course picking up golf balls on the driving range as the golfers tried their best to hit me. I still have the sound of "fore" in the back of my mind all the time. I went on to work at the Coolbellup Hotel bottle shop drive-through and then at the Broken Hill in Victoria Park. I mentioned those roles because they all helped me to learn and grow into the person I am here today. Often we can be criticised for not having any life experience. What that means is really anyone's guess, but for me, if you can survive working in the bottle-o at Coolbellup Hotel when I did, you can probably make it anywhere! I make mention of my university education at Notre Dame in Fremantle, having completed a Bachelor of Arts in politics and journalism and highlight the efforts of my dad who, at 82 years of age, also became a Notre Dame alumni just last year.
I also had the opportunity to travel prior to having kids, and have gained great insights and perspective from being in other cities around the world. As I stated at the start of my speech, my attention will shift to turning words into action and to be the best possible advocate I can be for the community I have been elected to represent in this place. I will ensure that these priority projects are delivered and I will be a solid contributor to the electorate of opportunity that is Jandakot. My commitment to them is to do that to the best of my ability and be a strong advocate for our community. I will work day in and day out to make our community an even better place to live, work and raise a family, and to always do what is right for WA.
In concluding my remarks, obviously I must thank a number of people. Without them, I would not be standing here today. Election campaigns are a team effort and my success would not have been possible without the time people volunteered to help. To my campaign team and people I lent on for mentorship and guidance, who met regularly to keep me on track, I say thank you. I thank Hon Klara Andric, Guy Houston, Josh Cunniffe, Joseph Pallett, Michael Beach, Brianna Domeracki, Hanna Aziz, Callum Baxter, Yaso Ponnutharai, Neil Fergus, the Coombs family, all of my Labor colleagues and my staff in the previous term, Julie Valentine and Phoebe Kelsbie. I am going to single out my campaign manager, Josh, for a very special mention. I am going to turn into a sook here! He is also my nephew. We have come a long way—gosh, it is shocking—from family get-togethers where he grew up in Bunbury to crunching the numbers on election night. Josh gave up his own time on top of having a busy job and a young family of his own to keep the campaign momentum going and make sure that I was where I needed to be when I needed to be there. Although we definitely had our moments—I am sure all campaigns do—I would not be standing here now without his support.
In addition, there are other people who supported me along the way, of whom there are too many to mention individually. But I will give a special shout-out to the Janes—Jane Dalton and Jane Waters, who loved doorknocking together—and to Laurel Ellis, Nat Duthie and Aisling Doyle, who regularly volunteered their time to join me doorknocking. The little group around me grew steadily along the way, which was fantastic and made me feel better about how we were going.
I also want to thank my opponent, Nicole Robins, the Liberal Party candidate, and her family. I appreciate the amicable nature in which we were able to approach things in what was a hard-fought campaign.
Campaigning is hard work, and I was lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the best people. From my election day booth captains, volunteers and scrutineers to my election campaign pre-pollers, doorknockers and phone callers, I say a very heartfelt thank you. Despite the searing heat or pouring rain, you all continued to turn up week after week and day after day. My personal campaign commitment was unwavering, too, with a dog bite and a tetanus needle to prove it. Upon reflection, I am almost certain it was a "chi-chuana"! I had to call on all of my reserves, too, even some of my oldest school mates. I give special mentions to Chris Patroni, Daniel Turco and Peter Connolly, who set up and packed down an election booth after spending all day there and who in the lead-up to election day drove around the electorate putting up signs for me and replacing the constantly disappearing ones, too. Thanks, guys. There are also the mates who pitched in on weekends to help me make endless yard signs. As blokes, we do not tend to say much to each other, but I really do appreciate your help, not to mention the banter.
Most importantly, the biggest thank you goes to my family. Here we go again. I am going to get all soppy again. This has been and will continue to be taxing on them. I could not do it without the support of my wife, Elena. Juggling her own high-pressure job, our three young children, school lunches, drop-offs and everything in between to allow me to campaign for a year, including regular doorknocking and several media and community events was a huge undertaking. It would not be possible for me to do this role without Elena's help, and I am forever grateful.
Of course, there also has been one very significant change, or addition, really, since my inaugural speech in the other place in 2021, and that is the arrival of our son, Lennox Kane Pratt, almost three years ago, who joined the family alongside my daughters Imogen and Phoebe. They are in the Speaker's gallery today. My daughters, who were just four and two when I delivered my first speech in Parliament and sat relatively quietly in the chamber are now sitting here again today, having just turned eight and six. We have been able to watch them grow up on the steps of Parliament, which has been very special.
Although difficult to comprehend my constant absences from home life at times, especially during the election campaign, all three of my children understand the importance of what I do. They also know that what I am doing here in this place and outside in the seat of Jandakot matters.
I am grateful, too, for the ongoing support of my mother-in-law, Robyn, who has provided us with endless time and help with the kids but who also has become someone I can have a constructive conversation and political debate with. I thank my dad, Baden, for his support and guidance, daily phone calls and SMS pep talks. His passion for politics, people and making our community even better continues on through me, along with your love for the mighty North Fremantle Football Club and our united yet sometimes frustrating passion for the Fremantle Dockers. To my mum, Cheryl, who has been a constant source of strength and determination in the face of adversity, I simply say thank you. I will do everything I can to make you proud. I am glad I have got only three minutes! I am very fortunate to have such a beautiful and supportive family with a passion for making communities better. I learnt my values from my parents and grandparents, Frank and Joy, whom I have mentioned previously in the other place. They are the same values that I am teaching my own children: decency, compassion and commitment. These are the values that will guide my time in this place as a fierce advocate for the people of Jandakot in the Cook Labor government. The work is just beginning. As I conclude my speech, I turn my attention to making these words count. Now it is the time for action. Thank you.
(Applause.)
Debate adjourned, on motion by Mr David Michael (Leader of the House).
