Alison Penfold (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

To lower the temperature in this place, I want to recognise that today we launched the Parliamentary Friends of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. I want to thank my colleague the member for Sturt for her leadership and for approaching me to be co-chair with her. We did coordinate very well today, I think, in wearing our blue suits. The RFDS is such an incredible service that regional and remote Australia has. At today's launch I noted that this time last year I was recovering from a very serious ride-on mower accident. I broke 14 ribs. I had a compressed lung. But I was only 20 minutes from a hospital. So many Australians are hours—thousands of kilometres—away. Who do they rely on? The Royal Flying Doctor Service. I also mentioned the story of a young mother who went into labour. If it wasn't for the RFDS, that child, Indi, would not be with us today. I just want to say what a wonderful launch event it was—the best event we've ever had at Parliament House was what the RFDS delivered today—and to thank you all for the service that you give to regional Australians. May you prosper and support Australians for many, many decades to come. Thank you.

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