Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the last few weeks, I have been so proud to host a number of ministers in my electorate of Tangney. We had a shared roundtable discussion with the member for Swan about the Early Years Strategy with Minister Rishworth and Minister Aly. We visited the Bull Creek RAAFA with Deputy Prime Minister Marles and Minister Butler to see the work of volunteer veterans in the Aviation Heritage Museum. Minister Butler also visited a local pharmacy and a medical centre in Willetton, alongside my state colleague the member for Riverton, who was previously a GP himself. We had Minister Keogh talk about our election commitments that benefit our CALD communities at the Perth Hindu temple. Minister Shorten visited our local Services Australia centre in Cannington to say hello and to thank the team for what they do. And I had an industrial roundtable and a visit at Murdoch University with Minister Husic to talk about the Community STEM Engagement grants. I spoke fondly during the last sitting weeks of when the Prime Minister came to Tangney and reflect on that time with great joy. This is because the importance of a ministerial visit is not lost on the WA team. Even right now, the three hours' time difference from Perth due to daylight savings is an adjustment.

So what did we do during these visits? During the Early Years Strategy roundtable with the Member for Swan, Minister Rishworth and Minister Aly, we had an open forum and discussion with representatives from the early-years sector. The strategy has been developed to shape our vision for the future of Australian children and their families. The early years are so important for children's development and later outcomes in life, and for me it is so crucial, so critical, to ensure that their foundations when they are young are strong. Our government's strategy will support better outcomes for young children in Australia and their families. We heard from many representatives about their experiences and contributions, moving forward to shape this strategy. It was good to see that we have so many passionate educators and leaders in this industry that want to see our next generation thrive. The feedback that my team in Tangney have received from the representatives in our electorates reflects well on the proactiveness of this government in this space. I look forward to more opportunities to learn and develop our ability to help our future talents.

Deputy Prime Minister Marles came to visit the Bull Creek RAAFA to see our local Aviation Heritage Museum. It was amazing to showcase what the veteran community at RAAFA do. They were very pleased that Deputy Prime Minister Marles was able to visit and see the work the veterans volunteer group have done in wonderfully curating and preserving our aviation history, most of which was in the military. For me, I cannot help but feel a great sense of gratitude for the dedication and service of our veterans. These brave individuals have made tremendous sacrifice to defend our nation's freedom and security, and their commitment to our country is a testament to the very best of Australia. The visit to the Aviation Heritage Museum was a reminder of the important role that our military play in protecting our nation. It also highlighted the need for continued investment in our Defence Force to ensure that they have resources they need to carry out the their duties effectively.

The visit from Minister Butler to our local Southlands Pharmacy in Willetton and the Willetton Medical Centre was very impactful. The WA state member for Riverton, who has previously been a GP, was also able to shed light in this space based on his experiences and accompany us in this visit. Sharing the accomplishments by this government regarding the change of the PBS medicines is something I am so proud of. Someone taking one medication a month could save as much as $150 every year, or, for two or three medications, as much as $300 to $450 a year. This government has committed to and delivered on a promise to make medicine more affordable. Minister Butler also managed to speak to my first GP, Dr Kulaendra, when we visited Willetton Medical Centre. He was my first family doctor who helped my daughter through her battle with cancer. It was an honour to have him meet the minister. For me, it was very heartwarming to be able to say that I'm a part of the team in government doing more to support the health and wellbeing of everyday Australians.

Minister Keogh and I visited the Perth Hindu Temple to discuss funding and election commitment delivery. I'm so happy that I have a local minister who is as equally committed as I am to the local community. I also want to extend my personal thanks to him and his team in recent weeks for their guidance and support. I am so grateful.

Minister Shorten saw how wonderful Richard and his team at Cannington Centrelink were in making sure that our community is looked after. One of the team, Delaney, had her eight-year work anniversary when we visited. It was an honour to be there to celebrate that occasion with her, with the minister present. It is important that, regardless of what you do for work, your work is not forgotten and you're thanked by those at the top. I know that Minister Shorten's visit will not be forgotten by the team anytime soon.

Minister Husic was able to see some of Tangney's contributions to industry and science, from both a business and a student perspective. Tangney has more than 17,000 businesses that have the ability to really thrive under our Labor government. Minister Husic was able to connect with some representatives of industry within my electorate to discuss ways to promote innovation, research and business enterprise, for existing businesses as well as for new tech start-ups in the state of Western Australia.

It was also an honour to have shared this opportunity with my local and state government colleagues. My sincere thanks to the City of Melville and their staff for hosting Minister Husic and the delegation. Special thanks to the Lord Mayor, Mr George Gear.

Having once run my own business, I know and appreciate the importance of government providing opportunities for local businesses to flourish. Minister Husic's visit was a shining example of this. At our visit to Murdoch University we talked about the Community STEM Engagement grants which will help fund the purchase of advanced agricultural robotic platforms, to be used in competitions and for teaching and research, and to be lent to schools to use for their own curriculum. We also got to meet the talented WA Robotics Playoffs team.

It is so exciting to know that so many things are happening in the world of science and technology. The need to think ahead and foster growth in this space is so important because this is about what will create jobs in our Australian economy. So, to my ministerial colleagues, I say thank you. Thank you for visiting Tangney and meeting its people and its businesses and shaping its future. I look forward to hosting any of you who come to my electorate soon.