House debates

Thursday, 4 August 2022

Adjournment

Higgins Electorate

4:45 pm

Photo of Michelle Ananda-RajahMichelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I'm going to use this opportunity to thank the many members of my campaign team and volunteers who enabled history to be made in Higgins. It is an honour and a privilege to be standing here in this House as the first Labor member for Higgins. It's been a phenomenal whirlwind of 75 days, and I wanted to take this opportunity to stop and really reflect on the people and supporters who helped to get me here.

I want to thank my campaign committee who helped organise various events and supported my campaign from the very beginning to the very end while out pre-polling with me on the streets of Higgins. Some of the members of my campaign committee are Mark Warburton, Mark Giles, Carlo Buratto, Sarina Greco, David Wright, Angus Reynolds, Angus Styles, Jasmine Salas, Tom Ingham, John Stowell, Christopher Wiseman, Steven Blacker, Craig Irvine and Madeleine Sanders.

I would also like to thank my field team, who were out on the doors and the phones, and with me as we spread the message of hope and listened to people of Higgins—every day, rain, hail or shine. We knocked on thousands and thousands of doors and called on just as many people. Among my field team that I would like to recognise and thank are Tara Cunneen, Alex Mansell, Ben Chaney, Oscar Dobson, Bettina Prescott, Danielle Evans, Samuel Heckeroth, Eva Scopelliti, Nicholas Geisler, Joshua Strauss and Sean Hanna.

As always, I would not be here without the support of my colleagues in Victorian Labor, some who are candidates for the next election. Among these include Matt Fregon, Steve Dimopoulos, Nina Taylor and Wesa Chau. I thank you for sharing this journey with me.

I think everyone can agree that those who volunteer their time to the cause, any cause, are truly valuable, and I thank all the volunteers for their constant support. Without them we wouldn't have made history. Among the volunteers I would like to thank, I include Peter Wenborn, Gerald Sabel, Robyn Saltmarsh, Linda Sim, Edwina Kay, Jackson Stiles, Rodney Charls, Ian Radnell, Vickie Brous, Harsha Guneratne, Metika and Peyton Claxton, Josh Khaw, Lewis Desmond, Ken Penaluna, James Spencer, Oskar Beadell, Greg Neal, Lucy Benbow, Katrina Watson, Anne Gellatly, Richard Bouwmeester, Doug Simonds, Anthony McDonald, Deborah Chemke, Julie Ligeti, Lavan Ruban and Peter Kriesner. Thank you to all who contributed to my campaign. This is not everyone. I'm sure I've left someone off the list, and I do apologise if I cause offence. I know that I am truly grateful to be here as your member for Higgins and I do hope to do you all proud. Thank you.