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

I would like to start by commending the efforts of the member for Higgins and the member for Kingston with regard to the Parliamentary Friendship Group. I went to the event last week. It was a great success and, with two sisters who are scientists, I am fully aware of the issues that are currently facing women in the science field.

Recently I put out a call for local sporting legends in the Canberra electorate, extending my Canberra Legends Program with the hope of discovering some hidden sporting talent. With the London Olympics almost upon us, I want to mention my first Canberra sports legend here today. Ten-year-old Alex Halank is a young windsurfer, born and raised in Canberra. He is currently in year 5 and, although Canberra is not the best nor the most likely location for developing windsurfing skills, he has persevered and practised to become one of the youngest advanced windsurfers in the world. Alex is currently the Under 11s Windsurfing Freestyle World Champion and the Under 13s Windsurfing Slalom Vice World Champion. To top that off, he is also the Under 17s Wavesailing Australian Vice Champion.

I am told it is quite unusual for a child as young as Alex to learn to windsurf, particularly to the high standards he has achieved. Windsurfing requires self-reliance and, considering some of the conditions out there on the seas, bravery. Alex is an inspiration, and his courage to pursue his love of windsurfing has shown his friends and family that getting out there and giving something a go can be lots of fun. He is a wonderful ambassador for Canberra and for the sport of windsurfing and I wish him well.

I would also like to congratulate the finalists in the 2012 Telstra Australian ACT Business Awards. In fact, there were 16 finalists in this year's awards, and I think it is telling for the future of small business that they are all very active online and making use of the latest social media to get their brand out there. Many small business people I speak to, particularly those who are just starting out, know the internet is a vitally important tool and central to their business plan. Once the NBN is up and running here in Canberra, the benefits to small business will be even more pronounced.

There were four award categories in the awards, and the finalists are Shop Handmade, a great shop which I frequently visit; Sliced Tech; and Swish Education, for the HTC Start-Up Award. Other finalists include Canberra Furnished Accommodation; Makin Trax Australia; and Transformed, for the News Limited Micro-Business Award. The MYOB Small Business Award category finalists include Choku Bai Jo, the farmers outlet; HRMWEB; Nexis Accountants and Business Advisors; PayMe Australia; PCA People; and Provincial Plants and Landscapes. The finalists for the Commonwealth Bank Medium Business Award are Adore Tea Australia; Instyle Indoor Plant Hire; Intelledox; and Point Project Management. Congratulations to all the finalists. You have done Canberra proud.