Ash Ambihaipahar (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a pleasure to attend the Mother's Day breakfast hosted at Bexley North Public School recently. The morning brought together students, parents, carers and teachers to celebrate the important women in our lives, who provide endless love and support to the next generation. What stood out to me the most was learning about the school's impressive student parliamentary program. Students take on leadership roles, including the position of Prime Minister, with a ministry set up as well, and they actively participate in debating ideas, presenting and drafting motions and voting on initiatives that impact school life. I was very much inspired to see young people developing their confidence, teamwork and public speaking skills at such a young age.

I had the opportunity to speak with some of the students about my role as the federal member for Barton and share some insight into how our parliamentary system operates. Programs like this help bring civics and democracy to life in a very practical and engaging way. I want to thank Ms Danielle Scott—the principal—the P&C, teachers, parents and the students for organising such a wonderful event and for fostering future community leaders with such enthusiasm and care.

I recently also had the pleasure of attending an annual dinner of the St George and Sutherland Medical Research Foundation. It was an evening that highlighted the extraordinary work undertaken in our local health network. I want to sincerely thank Pam Brown and all the members of the board for their dedication, leadership and passion in supporting medical research that changes lives. Their commitment ensures that researchers at St George hospital and Sutherland hospital can continue groundbreaking work that improves patient outcomes and strengthens our healthcare system.

I particularly want to acknowledge Professor Emad El-Omar, the director of the Microbiome Research Centre in Kogarah, whose internationally recognised work on the gut microbiome is advancing our understanding of disease prevention and human health. I also want to congratulate the grant recipients recognised on the evening: Dr Joyce Chiu, Dr Michelle Fitzmaurice, Thisun Jayawardana and Dr Jennifer Wen Ying Lim. Their dedication and expertise in research excellence give our community hope for a healthier future. I am also a scientist by trade, and I know the importance of investing in research, innovation and evidence-based medicine. Behind every breakthrough are passionate researchers working tirelessly to improve and save lives. Our community is incredibly fortunate to have such talented people contributing to the world-class medical research in St George and Sutherland.