Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to give what is now an annual update on young leaders in my electorate of Gorton. Last month I had the great pleasure of awarding 10 of the brightest and most community minded young people from Melbourne's west with a Gorton Young Leaders Award. I established the Gorton Young Leaders Awards program in 2009 to recognise the achievements of exceptional young leaders in my electorate of Gorton. Now in their sixth year, the Gorton Young Leaders Awards recognise local young people who have shown an exceptional commitment to public service in their final years of secondary college, specifically through involvement in voluntary work, student leadership or community service.

This year we had 10 winners, former year 12 students across five schools, recognising them for their achievements during 2014. I am proud to be able to acknowledge the commitment these young people have shown to their education and their community and to recognise each of them as future leaders. The achievements of these winners have again spanned a range of worthy causes. Many of the winners were school captains or held leadership positions within their schools. They also led school committees and school working bees. On top of that, this year's winners undertook important work in the community, including: raising money for the Royal Children's Hospital and for homelessness programs, volunteering at Sunshine Hospital and creating artwork for the hospital's geriatric ward; and mentoring and coaching young athletes.

The winners of the Gorton Young Leaders Awards for 2015 are: Sarah Gonzalez and Patrick Puyat from Melton Christian College; Jade Nguyen and Adele Warrington from Copperfield College; Julia Sansone and Julien Johnson from Catholic Regional College, Melton; Kimberley McBain and Liam Richards from Melton Secondary College; and Nancy Gater and Ryan Sutcliffe from Staughton College. The winners—not to mention their families, friends and schools—should feel very proud.

I am certainly proud we have such talent and upstanding representatives of Melbourne's west. It was great to have a cup of tea with the winners, their families and the principals of these schools to discuss the work they had done and their plans for the future. Indeed, in conversations I had with these now young men and women, we talked about not only their futures but also the future they saw for their community. It was an enriching experience, I think, for them—certainly for their families—and what was really important about the event was we had in attendance those schools that recommended, to me, the bestowing of this particular honour upon them.

I assure my constituents and the schools within my electorate that we will continue with this recognition. We think there are too few opportunities for young people to be formally recognised in this area. Of course, we have sporting achievements that should be recognised. We have academic excellence that should also be formally recognised, and it is important in terms of who might continue onto further education. Whilst many of these young people have those achievements, they also have a focus on their local communities. I have just mentioned the contributions they made in raising money, in mentoring young people, in providing support for older Australians. It is a testament to them, to their families and, indeed, to the schools at which they have been students.

It was a great event. I was happy to present the winners with certificates and a small prize, during what was an inspiring morning. Speaking to these winners I know they all have bright futures ahead of them. I look forward to keeping in touch with these young people as they progress. I am very confident, given what I have seen and having spoken to these young men and women, that they have great futures ahead. They will do themselves and their communities proud. Too little recognition is given to such efforts of young people and, on occasion, the media sometimes reflect upon young people in an adverse way rather than focusing on those young people who do such great things at such an early age. So I feel happy to be able to acknowledge these young men and women of my electorate. I will ensure to do the same next year.