Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Dedication, commitment and perseverance are fantastic attributes for any athlete. Most of us would agree that the top of the pinnacle is to represent Australia, and that is exactly what Goonellabah soccer player Kaiden Powell is doing. Last week, Kaiden was selected to play in the Australian Indigenous team against the New Zealand Maori team in the near future. The selectors cast their eye over an impressive pool of players representing 16 teams at the recent National Indigenous Football Championships in Nowra. The news had a double impact for Kaiden. He has also taken up a fantastic opportunity to play for the Broadmeadow Magic team, based in Newcastle, in the upcoming National Premier Leagues.

The 27-year-old aspires to reach the A-league or even play overseas if the cards fall the right way. He has climbed the ladder of success through his local club, the Hornets. It is one of the many teams that play in the popular far North Coast football competition. Congratulations to Kaiden for his outstanding success. You are a fantastic role model for your community, and I wish you every success in the future.

It goes without saying that we must encourage people in our communities to learn and become valuable members. Novaskill is one organisation that promotes and helps train our people from all walks of life. I recently attended the Novaskill annual awards night, and I would like to acknowledge both Novaskill and all the award winners, who included the Hospitality Trainee of the Year, Joeline Grono; the Retail Trainee of the Year, Kathy Youman; and the Small Employer of the Year, Sandra, Helen and Mick from the Wurlitzer Bakery at Evans Head. The RTO Trainee of the Year was Bridget Hogan. Well done, Bridgie; I am very proud of you.

The Construction Student of the Year was Isaac McCliskie-Myles. The Disability Student of the Year was Kim Eames. The Individual Support Student of the Year was Susan Lane; the Novaskill Employee of the Year, Christie Kelly; the Indigenous Student of the Year, Allan Barry; the Apprentice of the Year, Myles Burgess; the Electrical Apprentice of the Year, Bradley Hanlon; the Catering Operations Trainee of the Year, Irene Collings; and the Business Trainee of the Year, Stacy Leadbeatter. The Participant Excellence Award went to Lynda Meade. The Largest Employer of the Year was the Ballina Shire Council. The Jobmatch Host Employer of the Year was Rob Ward Electrical Services. The School Based Trainee of the Year was Savannah Daley, and the Jobmatch Trainee of the Year was Jade Newlove.

I would like to thank as well all of the sponsors who supported this: Grafton Motor Group, ON-Q Human Resources, North Coast TAFE, the CBus super fund, the Wurlitzer Bakery, Rosh-Tech IT, The Northern Star, TURSA, Fleet Management Australia, Smallprint, Catapult and the Richmond Valley Council. Congratulations to all concerned.

Today I would like to highlight the fantastic achievements of a Casino local, Karlee Whitton. Karlee is the mother of two young boys, a high school teacher, a trainer at Casino Boxing Club and an aspiring amateur boxer. She grew up watching her dad's passion as he trained boxers in the local gym, and is now extremely proud to have him standing in her corner. Last weekend, Karlee travelled to Cairns to take part in the Australian Amateur Boxing Titles. It was at these titles that Karlee achieved the first part of her dream: being crowned Australian Champion for both the flyweight and bantamweight sections. Karlee now has her sights set on fulfilling the second part of her dream: being selected for the Australian team to compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I would like to congratulate Karlee for the success she has achieved over the weekend and, on behalf of our community, I would like to wish her all the very best in reaching her goal of representing Australia at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.