Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning I want to talk about the Rural Ambassador Program and in particular the associated Rural Ambassador awards. The program is run by the Agricultural Societies Council of South Australia, and the awards highlight the importance of youth in rural South Australia, in particular in the agricultural shows movement. Being involved in the awards gives young participants a forum to express their opinions and ideas for our rural communities. I have spoken previously in this place about my belief that agricultural shows and field days promote the best of what local communities have to offer and provide an invaluable chance for regional families to exchange ideas and to socialise with those who hold common interests, coming from farming families.

I appreciate how important these events are in strengthening regional communities. This is not just true of the produce and livestock exhibitors; they demonstrate the calibre of people who work on the land and in our regional communities, and those in the towns who help support them. That is why I am a strong supporter of the Rural Ambassador Program and the outstanding opportunities it provides to young people to travel locally, nationally and overseas, showcasing our people to the rest of Australia and the world and enabling those ambassadors to come back to their homes with new-found experiences and knowledge which further strengthens their communities.

The award enables young participants to experience and develop closer links with primary industry sectors in South Australia and represent their show society at local, association and state levels—and potentially, of course, the national level. The Rural Ambassador award identifies and encourages enthusiastic, skilful and industrious young people who have been involved in their local community or agricultural show. This year the electorate of Barker has been fertile ground for producing people able to meet this noble criterion. The 2014 winner was Brooke Harvie, from Naracoorte in the south-east of South Australia. The two runners-up were Luke Nuske of Pinnaroo, a Barker local, and for today's purposes we will adopt Thomas Darmody, from Kapunda, just outside the electorate.

I also want to pay tribute to the organisations that support this award—in particular, the Stock Journal, who have for a very long time dedicated themselves to promoting and informing regional communities. They have been a central part of helping the agricultural sector become the powerhouse that it is in Australia today. I congratulate the winners of the Rural Ambassador Program awards for 2014 and I strongly encourage all young people in my electorate to get involved with this fabulous initiative.