Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since the Griffith by-election I have visited a number of schools in my electorate. I visited Balmoral State High School for its leadership investiture ceremony. Principal Ms Allison Crane was kind enough to show me the school's facilities. As we walked the campus, I was struck by how the students reacted to her. They are obviously very fond of their principal. Ms Crane, her students, the staff and the P&C are rightly proud of their school.

Norman Park State School is also the heart of a loving school community. The school has a new library, built under Labor. The school is pleased with its facilities, though of course there is always more to be done. At Norman Park's investiture ceremony, Principal Ms Janine Leach gave a touching speech about leadership, including telling the children about our Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes. Norman Park's new school leaders modelled great behaviour throughout the ceremony.

I recently attended the P&F barbecue at St Joachim's School, a primary school in Holland Park. At the barbecue, I was fortunate to meet Principal Mr Chris Thomas who told me of the steep growth in enrolments at the school in the preceding few years. Mr Thomas has been working on quickly improving the school's facilities. I note that, in addition to the new facilities that have already been completed, the school is working on adding another prep classroom, an outside-school-hours care room, artificial turf and an early-years amphitheatre. It is an ambitious program and the school community is proud of its achievements.

Greenslopes State School is a small, close-knit school. The school leaders at Greenslopes take on responsibility for caring for the most junior students—the prep students. At the school leader ceremony, each school leader's prep buddy brought out his or her badge on a little white lace cushion. It was absolutely beautiful. The principal, Ms Kathy Canavan, held the whole school community's attention throughout the ceremony that she conducted.

I am grateful to have been invited to Camp Hill State Infants and Primary School's investiture ceremony. The principal, Ms Deborah Driver, is justifiably proud of the school hall with its custom flooring, built with funding that the former Labor government allocated. Camp Hill is a very large school, making it all the more impressive that there are such strong bonds between staff, parents, students and the broader community.

I am proud of Labor's record when it comes to schools. Most recently, 44 schools in the electorate have benefited from the BER investment. There were 124 projects across those 44 schools, including 17 multipurpose halls and 25 libraries. In total, an $88 million investment went into local schools across the south side of Griffith. I am honoured to represent our local schools. That the school communities in Griffith are thriving is clear from: the dedication of the P&Cs and P? the enthusiasm from parents, grandparents, friends, representatives of other schools and the broader community for, and participation in, school events; the principals, deputy principals and staff members' care and leadership; the students' respectful and attentive behaviour, and the quality and confidence of each of the student leaders I have had the privilege to meet. (Time expired)