David Moncrieff (Hughes, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thursday 26 March, last week, was Thank Your Pharmacist Day. Local pharmacies are so much more than small businesses. They play such a significant role in the health of local communities, not just in medicine distribution but in maintaining the wellbeing of residents right across our communities. It is unparalleled. I want to acknowledge Ahmad and Sam Sleitini from the Cincotta discount pharmacy in Macquarie Fields for the enormous role that they play in that community. Last week, they showed how much they give back to the community by hosting a World's Greatest Shave at the pharmacy. Sam once again went under the razor to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. It was great to have the support of the Ingleburn rotary club and the Ingleburn Eagles as they raised funds for this important cause. Thank you so much to Sam, Ahmad, the Eagles and Rotary for supporting this cause but also for your efforts to bring the community together. Thank you, and thank you to our many pharmacists for all you do for our community.

I also want to remind residents of South Ward of Liverpool City Council that there is a by-election on 18 April. For Hughes residents, South Ward includes the suburbs of Moorebank, Wattle Grove, Holsworthy, Hammondville, Voyager Point and Pleasure Point and a sliver of Casula. Voting is compulsory, so please don't forget to vote and avoid a fine. I've been holding mobile offices in Moorebank and Wattle Grove over the last few weeks, and council issues certainly come up a lot with residents. Residents certainly feel that our part of the Liverpool LGA is overlooked. We get the development, but we don't get the roads or the infrastructure, and the roads get clogged. I've been joined by Zeli Munjiza, who is running in the by-election and has been out in the community talking to residents about what matters to them and what they expect from their council. Prepoll opens on 11 April, including at locations like Wattle Grove, so I urge South Ward residents to make their vote count.

I want to acknowledge that this is a holy time for many communities across southern Sydney. It is Holy Week, and tomorrow is Holy Thursday. I want to acknowledge all the Christian groups in southern Sydney celebrating Easter this weekend. I also want to acknowledge that, for those of the Islamic faith, Ramadan recently came to an end with the marking of Eid al-Fitr, and I had the pleasure of joining members of the Bangladeshi Australian community in Macarthur to mark the holy occasion. I wish Eid Mubarak and Happy Easter to people of faith right across our community.

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