John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Congratulations on obtaining this high office. I'm sure you will do this place proud.

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a wonderful time of the year. Christmas is approaching. Lights are starting to appear outside homes. Christmas shopping is imminent. It has only been six weeks since decorations appeared in the shopping centres! Most years we look at each other and think, 'Where did the year go?' Lockdowns have blended into lockdowns. Homeschooling has drudged on, and well-intentioned sourdough starters have been in the fridge now for so long they are becoming sentient and have started to look to move out! Einstein told us decades ago that time is an illusion, but only in the last two years has this proven to be our experience. So we come to the end of this year with a relieved sigh and optimism for the future. It's worth remembering that in November last year we felt similarly, before Christmas and New Year's were upturned by the Northern Beaches outbreak. While Bennelong wasn't locked down, the implications of gathering restrictions affected the Christmas plans of many in my electorate, especially the many large local families looking forward to their traditional gatherings. Thankfully, this year, our optimism is supported by data.

Our vaccine rollout, after an admittedly slow start, fired up in the second half of the year, and now the nation is 86 per cent double vaccinated, and New South Wales is trickling towards 95 per cent single vaccinated. In Ryde, we have 93 per cent fully covered, which is an incredible figure. We couldn't have gotten here without an incredible amount of work from our doctors, nurses, pharmacists and everyone else who helped roll out the jab and manned our emergency departments and COVID wards during our biggest outbreak this year. Thank you to everyone who played their part in keeping us safe, and, of course, thank you to everyone who rolled up their sleeves to get the jab. We're opening shops, opening borders and reducing restrictions purely thanks to the huge numbers of people who have come out to get their jabs, so thank you. This means Christmas will be somewhat back to normal this year, and I for one can't wait.

Ryde Rotary Carols on the Common is back again, although not on the common this year—how common! TG Milner is the new home for this year, and it promises to be a great event. I look forward to seeing the thousands of people who normally come once again able to congregate and sing together.

Another stalwart that is back for another year is my Christmas card competition. The cards are being printed now and will be coming out shortly. We had wonderful entries from St. Charles, Epping West, Ermington West, St Michael's, Putney public, Our Lady Queen of Peace in Gladeville and St Anthony's Catholic Primary School. Choosing a winner was very, very difficult. Every child who put in an entry was a winner. The finalists were Isabel Chan, year 1 from Epping West Public School; Olivia Payne, year 2 at Putney Public School; Annabel Debkowski, year 3 at St Charles public; Ryde's Isabel Nagwani, year 4 at Ermington West Public School; and Chloe Palmer, year 5 at St Michael's Meadowbank. But there can only be one winner, and I'm happy to announce that this year that goes to Annabel Debkowski from St Charles. Congratulations, Annabel, and make sure you keep an eye out for your card around the community. Thanks to every student who participated and the teachers who found the time to make this happen.

To end, I would like to thank everybody for their perseverance this year and wish everybody a very happy Christmas. Hopefully, this year you can spend it with friends and relatives, but, if you can't, because they live in faraway places—or in Perth in the country of Western Australia!—you can look forward to the rapidly approaching day when borders will open. Please remember those less fortunate nearby you too. They've probably had a pretty hard year.

Next year will bring a soggy La Nina January, an election and perhaps another COVID season, albeit a smaller one, hopefully, but that's a few months away. For now we can focus on things closer to home, and for the next few weeks we can raise a glass—or maybe three!—to our essential services, our neighbours and ourselves, smile and know that we deserve this festive season.