Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Where do firefighters find their outfits? Guess where they find them? Right here in Australia, thanks to Stewart & Heaton, a proudly local, family owned business, which has been keeping our frontline heroes looking smart for more than 30 years. Alongside the Minister for Small Business, I was proud to visit Stewart & Heaton in Belmont. Not only did we get to see female coppers getting to check out their uniforms for the very first time; we also saw a company that was deeply committed to innovation, safety and local jobs.

Stewart & Heaton sells and manufactures high-performance protective clothing for firefighters and emergency services right across Australia. Their gear is designed for Aussie conditions—made to withstand some of the toughest environments—and tailored to those who put themselves in harm's way to protect us. This is a great example of what happens when we back local manufacturing. It means jobs in our community, it means world-class products made right here at home, and it means our emergency services are equipped with gear that they can trust.

As we celebrate the work of our firefighters, let's also celebrate businesses like Stewart & Heaton who support them. I thank Simon Stewart and the whole team. And who knew that the Minister for Small Business's dad was also a textile engineer? So cool!

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