Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): I am very pleased today to outline some of the wonderful events in my electorate during International Women's Day, which, of course, was last week. The first great event I was able to attend was organised by a group called Byron United. It was called 'Conversations on the Couch'. Besides myself, there were some local women—Hannabeth Luke, Helena Norberg-Hodge—and we discussed a whole range of issues pertaining to women and our community. It was a great fundraiser and the money raised went to the Byron Shire Committee against Domestic Violence. I thank Byron United for this very good community event.

I was also really pleased to attend the Wonders of Women Outstanding Achievement Awards organised by the Tweed Shire Women's Service. It was a great night in which a variety of local women were honoured for their remarkable contributions throughout our community. There were some great awards, but I would like to highlight the Woman of the Year—congratulations to Susie Dunn—and the Young Woman of the Year, Penelope Meeves. Congratulations to all the recipients who do such great work.

Towards the end of the week, I was pleased to attend the Coolangatta-Tweed View Club, which held their International Women's Day event, as they do every year. It is fantastic. They have hundreds of local women attending—a real testament to the View Club and the great work that they continue to do within our community. All in all, these were three very different events which reflect the great diversity of women throughout the electorate of Richmond. It was a great day to celebrate the achievements of women, but many of those events raise vital funds for very good services. The Tweed Shire Women's Service, in particular, does a remarkable job.