Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I was mightily relieved and very pleased that the Senate passed the legislation taking the cashless debit card trial to Bundaberg. Of course, the first community in Australia to embark down this path was Ceduna in my electorate, latterly joined by the East Kimberley and then the Goldfields around Kalgoorlie. It is very important. A pilot cannot continue forever, and Ceduna should not be hung out there on some endless experiment. So to bring this into a larger mainstream community now is very important as we accumulate the details and information we need with the view of rolling it out at other communities around Australia.

I would particularly like to thank the retiring mayor of Ceduna, Alan Suter. Alan has been the mayor for about 11 years and has been resolute. Since the 2011 report of the South Australian coroner, which went into the deaths of six individuals in the Ceduna area caused by sleeping rough or sleeping on the road in the middle of transport corridors, he has worked tirelessly to bring about change in the community. In an earlier time, he actually brought the Far West Football League back into existence after it had fallen into suspension over violence-on-field issues. He has been an exemplary member of his community and a great mayor. I wish him all the best in retirement.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statement has concluded.