Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Today, we will have some special guests in the gallery during question time. These are young people from the electorates of Indi and Farrer, from Albury-Wodonga. These young people are participating in a regional youth leadership program. It is targeted at young people between 15 and 25 years old from diverse cultural backgrounds. As it happens, these young people are at school at Murray High School in Farrer and Wodonga Senior Secondary College in Wodonga. All are recent arrivals from Nepal, speaking Bhutanese. They are part of the Australian refugee resettlement program. Interestingly enough, Bhutanese is the largest language other than English spoken in the top half of my electorate of Indi. So it gives me great pleasure to welcome them to parliament today. Their leadership program is looking at increasing their confidence, building skills and building greater understanding.

I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank the work of the Ethnic Council of Shepparton, the Goulburn Murray Community Leadership Program, Wodonga TAFE and City Council, Albury Wodonga Community College, Birallee Park Neighbourhood House, Gateway Community Health and the staff of the MPs for Murray and Farrer for facilitating is really important event. Welcome, guys, and I am really looking forward to catching up with you in Wodonga shortly.

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