Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Over the past few weeks, I've had the absolute privilege of spending time with some grassroots organisations, local schools and sporting clubs that truly represent the best of my community. I want to start by acknowledging the phenomenal team at Wingate Avenue Community Centre. We know that, right now, households are under significant pressure, and food insecurity remains a very real challenge for many families. But it is during these challenging times that our community's capacity for compassion truly shines.

Recently, I had the opportunity of visiting Wingate to see their fantastic Farm to Families program in action. I got to spend time volunteering, handing out fresh, healthy food to local families who are doing it tough. Seeing the direct impact of getting fresh produce straight to the people who need it most is both humbling and deeply inspiring. Community led organisations and support like this make a genuine, tangible difference in people's lives, and I want to say a big thank you to Foodbank Australia for their support. I want to place on record in this place my special thanks to Donna Scott and Angie Courtenay and the entire team of volunteers at Wingate. Thank you for inviting me down and thank you for the vital services, activities and events you provide. You are a lifeline to so many, and we are so proud of the work that you do.

Looking to the future of our community, I recently had the joy of visiting two outstanding local schools in my community. First, I give a huge shout-out to the year 10 students at Rosehill Secondary College. They kindly invited me to speak with them about how this very parliament works, my role as their federal MP and the importance of Australian democracy and civics. Let me tell you, it's always inspiring to engage with young people who are so curious, so switched on and so eager to understand how they can participate in shaping our nation's future. Knowing that these students are our future leaders gives me immense optimism. I also had the pleasure of attending the St Bernard's College high achievers assembly, a wonderful celebration of student excellence and hard work right across the board. I was deeply honoured to present my community leadership award to an outstanding student, Matthew Skidmore. Congratulations Matthew for your outstanding service. Visiting our local school communities, meeting their terrific teachers and celebrating amazing students is undoubtedly one of the best parts of this gig.

Finally, what is a weekend in our community without local sport? A few weekends ago, I got to spend a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon down at the Strathmore sporting club. I was warmly welcomed by the club's president, Ash Martin, along with some of the club's amazing volunteers, players and sponsors. The first XI team was out in the field giving it all against Plenty Valley, and it was a joy to watch the action live. During my visit, Ash and the team proudly showed me around and also talked about the frog box that they got through a stronger communities grant. This is really making a difference for this local club, and it was wonderful to be able to get down there and see it in action.

It is such an amazing opportunity to represent the wonderful community of Maribyrnong in this place. It is great gig.

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