Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to commend the efforts of my constituents in Bass for their generosity in donating to the Queensland flood appeal. Many fantastic events have been organised in a short amount of time, including barbeques, cocktail parties, auctions and concerts just to name a few. I have even found myself playing cricket—the first time since primary school—tennis and other sports at events.

The staff of the Launceston branch of Westpac hosted a barbeque and invited me to cook sausages. We raised $800 at that event, and that was matched by Westpac, so we were able to send a donation of $1,600 to Queensland families. A gala cocktail party was pulled together in less than a fortnight and we raised about $50 000, which was matched by the Tasmanian government, so we were able to donate $100,000 to the flood appeal. Indeed, the generosity of all Australians, and particularly those in Bass, helps our mates in Queensland in the aftermath of the flooding. They should be commended.