Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thiha is from Burma and Hussein is from Iraq, and they are mates. They are students at Woodridge State High School, and they are change makers. Their journey and friendship is one of a number of truly remarkable stories in a documentary launched last week in my community. The Change Makers Project is a collaboration between the University of Queensland journalism school and some of the students and staff at Woodridge High School, which is smack, bang in the middle of my electorate. It is a beautiful, uplifting response to the sneering, sensationalist rubbish that is often presented about our local area. These are our stories told our way. They are stories of hope, pride and inspiration. They are stories of coming together.

I can't adequately convey here just how meaningful this project is to my community. You need to watch it for yourselves at changemakersproject.com. To the students involved, I want this Australian parliament to know how moved our community was on Thursday when watching your work come together after 18 months of dedication—not a dry eye in the place—how grateful we are to Scott and Chrissy Downman and Principal Sharon Schultz and her team for leading the students through this work, how incredible you are and how proud I am to know and represent you and to try and make change with you.