Leon Rebello (McPherson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion acknowledging the Australia Day awards and congratulate all recipients. The Order of Australia is our highest national honour, recognising Australians whose service has strengthened our nation and our communities. Australia Day is a moment to reflect on what binds us together as a nation and on the values that have shaped Australia into the country that we are proud to call home. It's a day to recognise that our success has never come from titles or status but from people who step up, lend a hand and serve others without expectation of reward. The Australia Day Honours and the Australia Day awards and medals bring those values to life. They remind us that service, compassion and commitment are not abstract ideas. They are lived every day by Australians in our communities. The people we honour reflect the very best of the Australian spirit, service over self, resilience in the face of challenge and a deep belief in giving back. These honours matter because they tell a broader story about who we are as Australians. They show that a fair go is something we give to one another and that unity is built through actions, not words. On Australia Day, when we celebrate our shared journey, these awards remind us of who we are when we are at our best and who we can be when we choose to look after one another. These awards celebrate service above self, often given quietly, consistently and over many years.

In McPherson we are proud to congratulate our 2026 honour recipients, each of whom is highly deserving. Together they represent the very best of the southern Gold Coast and our national character. In the Member of the Order of Australia Awards, I congratulate Mr Alan Finch AM for significant service to higher education through the design and implementation of models of governance, Mrs Lorraine Ledwell OAM for service to community health and to breast cancer awareness, Mr Robert Paterson OAM for his service to the community through his involvement in a wide variety of organisations, the late Mrs Joy Ransley-Smith OAM for service to ballet and to the performing arts and Mr Brian Stewart OAM for his service to lawn bowls, who I recently had the pleasure of meeting. In the meritorious awards, Ms Nicole Lockie received the Emergency Services Medal.

Each of our local recipients comes from a different field, but there are a number of common threads: commitment, integrity and sustained service. That range matters because a strong community needs capability, care, culture and connection. These honours are a reminder that Australia works best when people step up not for recognition but because it's the right thing to do. Behind every recipient is a wider story: families, colleagues, volunteers, team-mates and communities who share the sacrifice that service often requires. That spirit of service is at the very heart of Australia Day and it's at the very heart of who we are as Australians. It's a day not just to look back at our national story but to recognise the everyday actions that continue to shape it.

Across our country, Australians are volunteering, caring, mentoring, protecting and leading, often without fanfare and often while juggling family, competing commitments, work and personal sacrifice. These are the people who keep our communities both strong and resilient. The Australia Day Awards gives us a moment to shine a light on those efforts and to remind ourselves that our national character is built from countless acts of decency and responsibility carried out at the local level. So I say to all recipients across the country but especially to those honoured from my electorate of McPherson on the southern Gold Coast: thank you for what you have done and for the example you set not only for your peers and for your colleagues but for future generations. McPherson is proud of you, and our community is stronger because of your service.

See this speech in context