Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are all, of course, a collection of our life’s experiences. I have been a member of the parliament for some time, but it is always refreshing to do something new, original and different. Recently, I was the guest chef at Tullawong State High School. I managed two cooking classes, years 10 and 11. This was a particularly interesting experience and one that I would commend to all honourable members. I have had a long-time interest in cooking, but I have not had the opportunity to combine it with my parliamentary duties in the past. We had two classes. The students seemed interested. I cooked Thai green chicken curry for year 10 and Thai red beef curry for year 11. I had visions of getting up early and chopping up a lot of vegetables beforehand, with a view to ensuring that the meal preparation proceeded swiftly. But it occurred to me that it would be a good idea instead to invoke the assistance of the students. So I had students chopping garlic, pumpkin and doing all sorts of things. After the cooking classes, the students indeed enjoyed the food, as did members of the school teaching staff.

I want to commend the Principal of Tullawong State High School, Leonie Kearney, and her five deputy principals, Kirsten Dwyer, Peter Hoehn, Roger Bryce, John O’Connell and Karen Casey, for the opportunity to pass on some of the ideas I have gleaned in the kitchen over the years. My thanks also to Miss Deanna Dean, the home economics teacher, for helping organise my visit. It gave students the opportunity of interacting with a federal representative. Many people tend to put elected representatives on a pedestal, just to knock them off, and they also see politicians as remote and not able to interact with other members of the community.

The students were exceptionally helpful. One student, Filipo Eliseo, described the curry as ‘sweet’, which I am told is a very big compliment. I am going to do more of these cooking classes. I understand that no student suffered adversely as a result of indulging in the fruits of my culinary expertise. It was a wonderful experience and also a lot of fun. I hope that the students enjoyed it as much as I did.

We have many students in our community who are absolute role models for other students, and I get sick and tired of seeing young people—the future of this country—being knocked in the media. I benefited greatly from this experience and I hope that, similarly, the students found my visit to Tullawong State High School to be of benefit.