Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

McHappy Day is just around the corner, on 14 November. We are very fortunate in Townsville to be able to see firsthand exactly where the proceeds of this grand fundraiser go. Ronald McDonald House is based at Townsville hospital. They do an incredible job. They look after families of sick children who are on the roller-coaster of hospital treatment. The house gives those who have come from out of town a place to stay and unwind when they're not sitting anxiously in waiting rooms in the hospital. Anyone with children knows how important it is to keep the family unit together, and that's exactly what Ronald McDonald House does in Townsville.

I was very delighted and extremely happy to be asked to open the Townsville facility's brand-new kitchen. Together with community and individual donors, the federal government put in $176,000 as part of the Building Better Regions Fund. In most households the kitchen is the heart of the home, and that's no different at Ronald McDonald House. This new facility has been built like a home kitchen to make things feel as normal as possible and to ensure that putting together a home-cooked meal is as stress free as possible. We know that, in the kitchen, families can come together and talk about their experiences—the highs and lows. No-one would wish on anyone having sick children.