Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Deputy Chairman , Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Hansard source

I will pass on your regards to the speaker and the deputy speaker, as well as to the prime minister and the leader of the opposition in the Bayswater North Primary School parliament. With my assistance, they conducted a debate. The minister at the table and the shadow minister will be pleased to know that the Bayswater North parliament voted to cut taxes, which I thought was a fantastic initiative of the 81 students there. As I said, they will be visiting this parliament later in the year on a school tour, as so many schools from our electorates right across Australia do. I know I speak for everyone when I say that the tour program in the Parliamentary Education Office here offers a very valuable service. It is one that we encourage as many schools as possible to take part in. For young students to come to the national capital to see the workings of democracy is a real investment in the future of our parliamentary system. It is also valuable for them to see the War Memorial and some of the other very important sites around Canberra. It was a great pleasure to be at Bayswater North last Friday, and I know that the students who participated are looking forward very much to coming here later in the year.

I also visited a fantastic small business in Mt Evelyn: Shear Obsession, a hairdressing business. I visited because Samantha Baker was a finalist in the Casey apprenticeship and trainee awards earlier this year. She also won an encouragement award. Samantha was one of 12 finalists out of a large field and received the most nominations. I visited the business to pass on my congratulations to her and to her employer, Kaylene Bird, who is doing a fantastic job running that small business.

The Casey Apprentice and Trainee Awards that we hand out each year recognise excellence in local trades. They recognise outstanding achievement from young people who have taken a decision to embark on a trade. Samantha was, as I said, one of the 12 finalists and it is obvious from the number of nominations and from the way she is received in the business that she is doing a fantastic job. Kaylene Bird, as her employer, is also doing a fantastic job. It is a thriving business in Mount Evelyn and I have no doubt that it will continue to be so. I also have no doubt that, one day, Samantha herself will be a business owner if she wishes to be.

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