Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

May I at the outset commend the remarks of my colleague and friend, the member for Wills, in relation to the situation in Myanmar. It is a dreadful situation, and everything that we in this country can do to try and bring about some resolution of that is well worth it. Having visited Myanmar a few years ago on a parliamentary delegation with members from both sides of this House, seeing the start of a democracy emerging in Myanmar—albeit imperfectly—and now to see that all go backwards under the military coup which has occurred, sadly, once again in that country is something which is tragic for the people of Myanmar.

I rise in the House tonight to recognise that yesterday was 21 March, World Down Syndrome Day. The date, the 21st, is significant as the condition is sometimes known as Trisomy 21, a reference to an extra third copy of chromosome 21 in those who have Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome is named after the British doctor, John Langdon Down, who first described it in 1866. It's a relatively rare genetic condition, fewer than a thousand cases per year in Australia, for example, and many of those who do have this condition are able to live very satisfying and fulfilling lives.

It was a delight to be able to join Down Syndrome Australia for an event here in Parliament House this morning, and in particular to see the appointment of a number of young people as health ambassadors for Down Syndrome. Remaining healthy is obviously important for all of us but it's particularly important for those who do have Down Syndrome, and a program of regular exercise is therefore important to promote. I noted in a relatively recent edition of Voice, the Down Syndrome Australia magazine, an article devoted to exercise, with examples of exercise which would be very useful for people in that situation.

It was good to be at the meeting this morning. I was particularly delighted because one of my constituents Amelia Sloane from Bulleen was appointed one of the health ambassadors for Down Syndrome Australia. Her role along with the other health ambassadors is to discuss the importance of remaining healthy, of doing exercise, of getting out and having a walk or engaging in swimming or whatever it might be that people engage in as their form of exercise in order to remain both physically and mentally healthy.

I'd like to congratulate Down Syndrome Australia for the wonderful advocacy and service work that they do, not just in what they did this morning, not just in what they do with the health ambassadors but throughout the year, day in and day out, in order to advance the situation of people who do have Down Syndrome and particularly their families.

On a related note, I was also pleased to note the formation of a new 15-member disability advisory committee in Manningham. This is a committee formed by the Manningham Council to advise the councillors and through them the officials of the council and the broader community of needs of people with a disability in the municipality and to ensure that there are in place the types of services from a municipal perspective that will help people with a disability. So I congratulate the Mayor of Manningham, Councillor Andrew Conlon, for setting up this new committee and I wish it the best of progress in terms of the advice and the work with it does for the council.

There are a number of services in Manningham which cater for those who are disabled in various ways. The Bulleen special school is a wonderful institution that provides educational services for young people, not just within the Menzies electorate itself but from a broader catchment. In Doncaster East is a wonderful service that provides not only education but employment and activities for people with disability. The Kevin Heinze Garden Centre in Doncaster, again, runs a program for people with disability. All of these services, the Bulleen special school and the Kevin Heinze Garden Centre, fulfil a very valuable role for the people of Menzies.

House adjourned at 20:00