Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With 2022 fast drawing to a close, I want to share with all of you in this place just a few highlights from the year representing the constituents of Wills.

In January I heard from Glenroy residents and local business owners about the issues that matter most to them.

February was a busy month of parliamentary sittings, but I managed to get out and cook a few snags at the Coburg Bunnings barbecue to support a wonderful charity, the Moreland Toy Library, and I had a hit of tennis at the Moomba Park Tennis Club open day.

In March, local residents packed out the Brunswick Town Hall to hear from the then shadow minister, now the Minister for Indigenous Australians, on reconciliation and how a Labor government will deliver the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full.

April was a great month. I announced a $500,000 commitment in funding to restore the Merri Creek, alongside the member for Cooper and the passionate members from the Merri Creek Management Committee and Friends of Merri Creek.

In May, of course, was the election campaign, and on election day I was honoured to be re-elected as the member for Wills as part of the Albanese Labor government. I want to thank everyone in my community again for their support and for again placing their trust in me to serve as a local MP and to deliver for our community as part of a federal Labor government.

In June we were back at work, visiting the 5th Brunswick Scout Hall to congratulate Mitchell Gunthorpe on receiving his Queen's Scout badge, the highest award a Venturer Scout can receive.

In July was Refugee Week. I celebrated that at the Multicultural Hub in Melbourne.

In August I spoke at the opening ceremony of the Myanmar National Unity Government representative office in Canberra.

In September I had the honour of being elected chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. This is something that's been a great privilege. It is a great privilege because I have worked for my whole career in the service of Australia's national security and prosperity.

In October I, with the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Youth, paid a visit to Lake Park Kindergarten, a bilingual kindergarten in North Coburg. Dr Siobhan Hannan, an experienced early educator, showed us around and the kids taught us a few words in Italian.

In November I spoke at the African Festival at Fed Square and had a dance—please don't watch the video! I celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria, a great local community of long standing—90 years. And I delivered on the Albanese Labor government's election commitment of $25,000 to support the Anatolian Alevi Festival at Coburg Lake.

Now that we're coming up to December, I want to wish everyone in my electorate of Wills a safe and happy festive season, a happy Christmas and a happy New Year. I look forward to 2023 and continuing to serve and deliver for our local community.