Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank and acknowledge everyone in my electorate in the south-west of Western Australia for their efforts in keeping each other and other Australians safe during the coronavirus, making the sacrifices they've had to make throughout this. I am going to single out a couple of groups in particular. The health workers have done an extraordinary job and were basically on the frontline from day one, not necessarily knowing what they were dealing with. I also want to thank the cleaners for their pride and their diligence. The cleanliness and the disinfection process in the facilities has been extraordinary. They've been so focused on making sure that we stay safe. They've done a fantastic job. I also want to talk about our farmers. There was a great focus on what was and wasn't in a supermarket. We were still milking cows, producing beef and getting on with our job. I want to thank every farmer for just getting on with the job and making sure, as we always do, that no Australian doesn't have access to some of the best quality food in the world. But along with that is the transport sector. I want to acknowledge the Australian Trucking Association and the rural livestock transporters who were working day and night. There were the drivers and the operators and the logistics of keeping basic groceries on the shelves for all of us as much as they possibly could. It was a massive effort but an unseen effort. They were out there doing this job. I really commend every operator and truck driver that was out there in that space.

In our small regional communities, there were shortages of key items in local stores. I had a quiet chat to them. They were actually making sure that the more senior citizens in our community still had access to the core things they needed by making sure they quietly retained little amounts for anyone who came in and needed just the basics each week and only bought small amounts. They looked after many of our senior citizens in this way. It was a very compassionate way that a community can work together. I saw it over and over. The local stores were in contact with the Home and Community Care people and said, 'When you've got someone who really needs some supplies, let us know, because we'll make sure that they get them.' We saw that repeatedly, with the community working together to make sure everyone was looked after. One gentleman made sure he delivered, would you believe, toilet rolls free to certain people in Nannup who couldn't get them in their local store. He bought them at a shop and delivered them. That's our great Australian people looking after each other.