Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every single night across this nation there are children who are forced to flee their homes because of domestic violence. This scourge of humanity touches every pocket of our community. On the Sunshine Coast alone there are about 450 children that flee every single year, often without so much as one possession, not even a favourite toy. Of course, what these kids need is love and hope, which brings me to the organisation Loving Hope Bears. This is an organisation that allows community members to help fund the purchasing of teddy bears. Anyone with little kids knows the importance of a teddy bear and how precious it can be. You can imagine how important it is for those children who are going through such strain and trauma. The founder of Loving Hope Bears is Angelique Hallett, who I'm delighted to say recently was announced as the Sunshine Coast young citizen of the year. The leadership she, as a young woman, provides is quite extraordinary, and to her I say not just congratulations but indeed a very big thank you.