Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to start this constituency statement with a big shout-out to this year's school leavers as they celebrate the end of their school days and the beginning of summer holidays. You've all worked so hard, and I'm sure I join your parents, siblings and friends in congratulating you on this milestone achievement. I trust you're safely celebrating at the end of your journey through primary and secondary education, sharing your joy with the friends you have made along the way, who will likely be there for you long into the future. I wish you every success for your brave new journey into continuing education, training or employment and what I'm sure will be a bright future ahead.

In this, my final parliamentary speech of 2025, I take this opportunity to thank the entire O'Connor community for putting their faith in me by re-electing me for a fifth term. I promise to continue to work hard to represent your interests in Canberra and make sure regional communities like ours thrive and grow. O'Connor is an electorate of great beauty, varied and wonderful people, and boundless opportunity. At this time of year, whatever your faith, I hope Christmas provides you with time to reflect on the year past and make plans for the future. It's an opportunity to appreciate the simple things in life: good food, good friends and the love of your partner and family. I'll close by wishing you a merry Christmas, a blessed holiday season and a healthy, hopeful start to a terrific 2026.

In closing, I'd like to say a big thank you to a much valued community asset that closed its business doors last week, the Esperance Weekender. A casualty of COVID, the town's previous local masthead closed in 2020, and the resourceful locals established a new weekly newspaper, the Esperance Weekender, to fill the news void. It was started more as a social enterprise than a business prospect due to a combination of economic uncertainty and what the local appetite for advertising might be. Editor Geoff Vivian had previous experience on another independent newspaper that had folded, the Great Southern Weekender. Geoff was appointed in 2022 and was still at the helm when the final edition hit the newsstands on Friday 14 November. I pay tribute to Malcolm Heasman and his leadership of the tight team of locals who had a clear vision for a newspaper that would engage the local community, support local businesses and provide topical local news. To Geoff, Nikki, Greg, Clara and Roslyn: thank you for your dedication to the Esperance community and for producing a paper that delivered on its purpose until the end. I know that your drive and talent will stand you in good stead for the future.