Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today because of a marvellous lady who lives in Tamworth . She was selected as a finalist in the 2025 National Rural & Remote Health Awards held in Canberra. I couldn't get there last night. The reason she's a marvellous lady is because Dr Miriam Grotowski is my local doctor. Dr Miriam is the reason—she was emphatic that I had to get my prostate checked, and that's why I'm standing here.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 11:58 to 12:03

Before I was so rudely interrupted by a division in the main chamber, I was talking about Dr Miriam Grotowski and what a marvellous person she is—as my local doctor and as a finalist for the 2025 National Rural and Remote Health Awards. It's a shame she didn't quite get there, but congratulations on getting so far.

Next, we'll go up the road to Glen Innes, and Matt Dodds from Glen Innes High School was awarded the Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools. Matt is working in the STEM subjects, which are science, technology, engineering and mathematics. I had Matt to my office—he's great mates with Leigh Tschirpig, who works in my office. They like looking at the stars and they're obviously into astronomy as well. Matt is so dedicated to getting kids interested in those core subjects which are so vitally important for all the things that we do away from the arts. If you're looking at chemistry, you're talking about medicine. If you're looking at physics, you're talking about rockets. If you're looking at engineering, you're building dams and building marvellous things that make our nation stronger.

Then there's Dr Cheryl McIntyre. She's been a rural generalist for 25 years and has been named the Rural Doctors Association of Australia's rural doctor of the year for 2025. Cheryl, as a rural generalist, is so important. So many towns don't have a GP. People get very scared when they have no local doctor. If something goes wrong—an asthma attack, you name it, or if someone comes off a horse or a bike—and you haven't got a GP, where do you go? Then we've got the AgriFutures Rural Women's Awards. There's Isabella Thrupp, Katelyn Wall out at Nemingha and Dimity Smith, who I sit with sometimes on planes, going backwards and forwards. She runs GRO Rural and GRO Events Group. The Walcha coffee shop won the New South Wales State Business Award. It's a great business.

I want to close on something else. All the P&Cs, all the working bees, all these people do something for their community. If we didn't have people working for our community, our nation would be a lesser place. You've got to do more than is expected of you.

One final thing for our service men and women. Do not forget, on the 11th of the 11th, so this month, at 11 o'clock to stop for one minute. You can do that. Stop for one minute in consideration of those who served.