Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate the minister's interjection, because I'll take it. Under this government that he is a part of, energy bills are going up and belts are being tightened but this government is spending $500,000 a minute in repaying debt the rest of us are having to foot.

I want to give a shout-out to educational support staff, who, on very modest wages, are doing an extraordinary job in many schools across my electorate. They are really stepping up. Under the Victorian Labor government we've got overcrowded classrooms. There are many challenges that young people and students are facing. Those educational support staff are passionate about their jobs, and they are committed to helping the young people that they work with.

On that note, I want to acknowledge the joint winners of the South Gippsland Shire Young Citizen of the Year award, Erica Begg and Rhiannon Rawlins, who I had the pleasure of meeting a few weeks back in Meeniyan. They've shown outstanding leadership, dedication and community spirit right across the South Gippsland Shire. They are both known for their volunteering spirit and their outstanding leadership. Rhiannon is at Korumburra Secondary College. They're both doing incredibly important work. I think they're leaders of the future. I am so impressed and so proud to represent them and all young people across the Monash electorate, who I will continue to work my heart out for because we live in the best region in the best country on earth.

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