House debates

Wednesday, 5 December 2018

Constituency Statements

Whitlam Electorate: Stephen Jones Active Citizen Awards

10:37 am

Photo of Stephen JonesStephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government) Share this | | Hansard source

Each year I provide an award, the Stephen Jones Active Citizen Award. The idea is to recognise students from my electorate who constantly display the ideals of social justice and play an active part in their school community and their broader community. I like to go along to the award ceremonies to present it. Unfortunately, the sitting pattern of parliament means that I won't be able to get to most of the ceremonies this year, so I'd like to acknowledge 43 students from public and private schools throughout the electorate, including Madison Rosser of Albion Park Public School, Dakota Skillen-Jones of Albion Park Rail Public School, Melisa Sali from Amity College, Charlize Middleton from Avoca Public School, Clementine Hornsey from Balarang Public School, Kaylie Adams from Barrack Heights Public School, Dean Nicollini from Berkeley Public School, Nelson Maltby from Berkeley West Public School, Tika Conway from Bowral Public School, Daisy MacDonald from Burrawang Public School, Ayah Marmar from Cringila Public School, Alexander Govier from Glenquarry Public School, Chelsea Anstiss from Kangaloon Public School, Kayla Harris from Koonawarra Public School, Chelsea James from Lake Illawarra South Public School, Sarah Paananen from Moss Vale Public School, Mia Attard from Mount Brown Public School, Jake Whitmarsh from Mount Terry Public School, Ethan McManus from Mount Warrigal Public School, Noah Skippen from Nazareth Catholic Primary School, Jennessa Morley from Oak Flats Public School, Kaleb Morris from Primbee Public School, Ginger Cummins from Shellharbour Public School, Bobby Kynes from St John's Catholic Primary School, Chloe Bloomfield from St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Remy Hagan from St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Oliver Woodburn from Tudor House, Mackenzie Hayward from Tullimbar Public School, Asher Horan from Warilla North Public School, Sherre Bates from Warilla Public School, Mason Stephenson from Windang Public School, Destiny Matesic from Albion Park High School, Alana Sargood from Bowral High School, Molly Chapman from Dapto High School, Alexander Foreman from Kanahooka High School, Brittany Skeen from Lake Illawarra High School, Makayla Jones from Moss Vale High School, Natalie Mansfield from Oak Flats High School, Audrey Scheu from Warilla High School, Lachlan Dalrymple from Tangara School, Darcy Howard from Chevalier College, Kasey Ashburner from Corpus Christi Catholic High School, and William Doyle from St Joseph's Catholic High School.

Standouts include Molly Chapman, who's a constant campaigner for more efficient climate change policies and renewable energy; Kasey Ashburner from Corpus Christi, who travelled to Rwanda to carry out aid work in villages that are still suffering from the Rwandan genocide; and Makayla Jones from Moss Vale, who raised over $4,000 for New South Wales farmers and initiated support groups for Moss Vale students. They all deserve recognition. I'm sorry I can't be with them, but I'd like to pay tribute to them in the parliament today.