Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure I rise today to congratulate my constituent Jeeven Nadanakumar for winning the inaugural national My First Speech Competition for Young Australians. The competition gave young Australians the opportunity to outline in three minutes their vision for their communities as if giving their first speech to parliament—and the members for Moreton, Richmond and I are very afraid. In his entry, Jeeven—who is in the chamber today with his family; welcome—outlined a strong vision for the future of Canberra and the country. He articulated values close to my heart and to many in this chamber. He talked about the virtues of Canberra and the value of small business and multiculturalism. He spoke about the need for every Australian to get quality education and health care. He also spoke of his passion for the environment and the need for a sustainable Australia. In just three minutes, he eloquently articulated his vision—one which I suspect many in this House, including me, would struggle with.

It is quite clear from his entry and his extracurricular activities that Jeeven is an individual who will never be content to sit by and let others do what must be done. He will always act for the benefit of his community. Congratulations, Jeeven. You should be proud of your achievements. I hope you continue with your passionate advocacy for your community. Also, congratulations to the teachers at Marist College for promoting this fantastic competition.