Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment Participation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am just imagining the member for Ryan on that scooter. It is a wonderful idea. I rise to acknowledge the courage and initiative of an exceptional young boy in my electorate of Gorton. Blake Farrugia, a 10-year-old of Taylors Hill, recently wrote to me outlining his experience of living with type 1 diabetes over the last six years. His letter spoke of the everyday difficulties of the disease and how the condition has changed the way in which he lives his life. I receive many letters from constituents in my electorate, but seldom from individuals of such a young age. Indeed, it is touching and inspiring to hear stories of initiative and courage like the story of Blake Farrugia.

Despite the challenges posed to his health, Blake is an active member of his community. He is a member of his local soccer team and an advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where he raises awareness about the need to invest in diabetes research in order to find a cure.

I am pleased to be able to say that since November of last year the Rudd Labor government has provided a subsidy for insulin pumps to make them more affordable for families in my electorate and families across Australia. In his letter, Blake told me that he now uses the pump and it has dramatically changed his life for the better. Instead of four needles a day, Blake now only has to have one needle every three days.

It gives me great pleasure to see such a young individual engaging with the community to bring about positive change. It is also very much the case that it is a pleasure to see a decision by government improving the quality of life of such a young person who should not have to confront such challenges. I would like to acknowledge Blake’s initiative, but also to extend my best wishes and compliments to his parents, Tania and Mark Farrugia and his younger sister Kira, who have all provided him with tremendous levels of support throughout this experience.

I have yet to have the opportunity to meet face to face with Blake but I am arranging to meet with him and his family so that I can speak with him about those challenges and, indeed, see for myself the absolute tangible benefits as a result of a decision by government and by the efforts of a 10-year-old boy, and I do appreciate the fact that he wrote directly to me.