Rebecca White (Lyons, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the outstanding service of several remarkable constituents from my electorate of Lyons, who've been recognised in the Australia Day 2026 honours.

Mr Geoffrey Ashton-Jones AM has been honoured for his significant contribution to the environment, primary industry and the broader community. Through his leadership as chair of the Tasmanian Rivers and Water Supply Commission, Geoffrey has left a profound and lasting impact on local communities and on the stewardship of our natural resources.

Mr Athol Bennett OAM has been recognised for his dedication and service to the Southern Midlands community, his leadership as chair of the Community Advisory Committee for the Midlands Multi-Purpose Health Centre, and his past role as president of the Oatlands District Homes Association.

Mr Will Smith OAM has been acknowledged for his service to the youth of Tasmania. As CEO of JCP Youth and the program director for BEAST, Will has shown exceptional dedication to empowering young people and fostering positive life outcomes.

Mrs Kim Brundle-Lawrence AFSM OAM has been honoured for her exceptional service to the Carrick Fire Brigade. With more than 35 years of dedication to the Tasmania Fire Service, Kim has contributed enormously to community safety, resilience and emergency response in Northern Tassie.

I'm lucky to see firsthand the incredible contributions made by people from all walks of life, people who help build—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 09:40 to 09:58

I'm lucky to see firsthand the incredible contributions made by people from all walks of life, people who help build up our communities and our country. There are so many others who do incredible things but go without recognition, especially women. In the Australia Day 2026 Honours List, women represented just one in four of all appointments and awards. There is no good reason for this. Afterall, we all agree that men and women should be treated equally, and we recognise that they contribute in an equally impressive way to building the strength of our community.

The challenge for all of us is to nominate a woman who we see doing great things in our community so they get the recognition they deserve, whether they are volunteering every season in the footy club canteen, running a small business, working to breakdown stereotypes in male dominated industries, educating the next generation in our classrooms or serving our community at the local health clinic. You don't need to be an astronaut, as impressive as that is, in order to receive a nomination for an award. These honours exist to acknowledge Australians who make meaningful and lasting contributions anywhere in our community. Each of these recipients awarded in 2026 exemplifies the very best community-minded service. On behalf of my community, I express our deep gratitude for their tireless efforts, and proudly recognise the significant contributions they have made.

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