Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to give a shout-out to the Hon. Ken Wyatt, Minister for Indigenous Australians, who visited my electorate two weeks ago. It's the first time a Minister for Indigenous Australia has visited Petrie in 10 years. I was really pleased to have him there. He's a great man. One of the people the minister met with was local Petrie constituent Ramone Close, who has been working to build the profile of football—soccer—within Indigenous communities. Ramone started playing football when he was 13 years old. He got signed to play professionally in Europe when he was 15, and he spent many years living there playing the sport he loved. He said he would never have the perspectives he has now without having had the experiences he had travelling the world with football. That's why Ramone, as a former professional Indigenous football player, is seeking more global opportunities that the game can present, and he believes the Indigenous physicality is well-suited to the game of football. For now, he is trying to get more funding for the code because the high cost of playing sport is prohibitive to Indigenous families.

The Indigenous football festival was fantastic. People came from all around Australia. I want to give a shout-out to Lawrence Gilbert, of Naree Events; Peninsula Power Football Club; and the Feuerriegel family. There are so many good people at Peninsula Power who help that club every day—people like Nicole Dymock, Nikki Harrison-McRae, John Auld and the Auld family, who are big supporters of Peninsula Power and were major supporters of the football festival. Minister Wyatt also visited other parts of my electorate, including Deception Bay High School, where he met with students and teachers. There was a great meeting with the Mindle Bygul Aboriginal Corporation in Deception Bay. I thank other Indigenous owners, elders and industry people in the employment sector at Designer Life North Lakes. I also thank Michael Connolly and Gubbi Gubbi woman Christine Stuart and her daughter for meeting at my office with Minister Wyatt as well as students from Grace Lutheran College.

Last week I was invited by principal Tracy Egan to attend Mango Hill State School, which is the biggest primary school in Queensland with 1,493 students in P to 6. I was greeted by hundreds of eager, smiling faces. The children were all in coloured clothes—not their usual lime and green outfit. They had sporting uniforms on and traditional dress from countries right around the world. Tracy explained that it was 'We all belong day'. This is Harmony Week and this year's message is 'Everyone belongs'. It's a good message. They are a big united team at Mango Hill State School, just like we are big united team here in Australia. Whether you are born here or come here from another country, everyone is welcome. We have a wonderful country here in Australia.