Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As members of this place, we are temporary custodians of something much bigger than ourselves. We are here because the people gave us their trust, and it is our job to honour it. At the opening of the 48th Parliament, Speaker, you committed to ensure that democracy is not only practised here but strengthened here. In a world where democratic norms and institutions are under threat, this sentiment could not be more relevant. The strength of our democracy isn't just measured in votes cast; it's measured in how we contest elections, how we respect outcomes and how we treat each other.

In that spirit, I want to acknowledge my Liberal opponent, Grange Chung. While we had our differences, he engaged in respectful discussion. After the election, he called to concede graciously and offered his congratulations. The former Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, delivered one of his most gracious speeches on election night, acknowledging the result and congratulating the Prime Minister. These acts of respect and civility are not just nice-to-have courtesies; they are the very foundation of our democracy.

While we compete in the battle of ideas, we are all ultimately here to serve the Australian people. The will of the people doesn't reach these chambers without the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and participated in the democratic process, and I want to thank some of those volunteers here today because I want to recognise the important role they have played in our democracy. I want to thank my volunteers, from high school and university students to parents wanting a better future for their kids, seniors who have been through many elections and migrants who voted for the first time. They all came together to fight for a fairer future.

Our campaign community knocked on more than 30,000 doors. Thanks to Roewen Wishart, Madeleine Winter, Anthony Hannan, Evan Yoo, Sean Fitzgibbons, Max Eastwood, Pete Repeti, Sue Bolton, Ralph Curnow, Dani Dwyer, Pauline Johnson and Kate Sullivan for pounding the pavement and knocking on doors with me. Our phone bankers made more than 30,000 calls, too. Thanks to Lesley Light, Michael Holland, Jennifer Davoren, Stuart Maclaine, Caleb Pietsch, Vivek Goyal, Colin Chiu and Nick Rupolo for phoning night after night, bringing empathy and purpose to every conversation. To those who braved early mornings and weekends at transport stops and street stalls, thank you. Jianhua Liu, Graham Levy, Sris Ponniahpillai, Siva, Ivy Tseng, Helen Westwood, Phyllis Parr, Sharron Hawkins, Margaret Donnellan and Mykyta Bolshov, your visibility helped us connect with thousands of voters. To my prepoll queens and king—Kym Ralley, Karen Pensabene, Greg Davis and Rhys Patton—thank you so much for your support, especially when the days were long and the weather unforgiving. You held the line with good humour and make sure every voter received a Labor how-to-vote.

Thanks to all my state colleagues: Jason Yat-sen Li, Donna Davis, Lynda Voltz, Mark Buttigieg and Courtney Houssos. Thanks to volunteers with Asian Women at Work, Sydney Chinese Drum Art Troupe, Rhodes Multicultural Community Association, Sydney Olympic Peninsula MCA and the Australian Xiao Hong Mao Tourism Culture for helping me connect with the Chinese community. To all our local councillors—Mayor John Faker, Mayor Karen Pensabene, Mayor Darcy Byrnes, Andrew Ferguson, Rory Nosworthy, George Mannah and Michael Ng—thank you for your support as we continue to fight for our community. To my campaign and electorate teams—Caleb Dredge, Kyan Aitken, Molly Quinnell, Jo Carlisle, Philippa Scott, Maryanne Duggan, Phillip Kim, John McManus, Jo Mai, Jing Hong, Elaine Shi, Kitty Farrell, Georgie Slater and James Callow—thank you for your hard work, commitment and long hours. Thank you to Dom Ofner and David Dobson for your unwavering support and wise guidance.

Thank you most of all to the people of Reid for the privilege of continuing to serve you. I'll work hard to make our community and our country a better place.

House adjourned at 17:00

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