House debates Questions without Notice

Langby, Dusty

Tuesday, 15 September 2026 House of Representatives

Mike Freelander

Mike Freelander Macarthur, Australian Labor Party

2:45 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. Today, Dusty Langby and representatives from the charity Little Wings are visiting Parliament House. What has Dusty been up to lately and why is his work helping sick children from regional, rural and remote Australia so important?

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister

Thank you to the member for Macarthur not just for his question but for his extraordinary record as a paediatrician serving people in south-west Sydney. There isn't a child in his electorate who wasn't delivered by the member for Macarthur, I think. That explains one of the reasons why he sits there with a very good margin!

Today, I was absolutely delighted to meet with young Dusty Langby, his parents, Sarah and Andrew, his brother, Angus, nurses Christine Letton and Nichole Callan and the CEO of Little Wings, Clare Pearson. Dusty is an extraordinary young Australian, and I know the member for Parkes has very much welcomed the announcement that we made today.

Dusty has walked 540 kilometres from Warren to Canberra, raising money for Little Wings. This morning, he was completely exhausted, and it's not surprising. This young man has been getting up at 5 am every morning and walking for hour after hour along the road, along with his mum and members of his family and the support group which are there. This has all been aimed at raising funds to help sick kids.

For families in regional Australia, getting specialist care can mean travelling hundreds of kilometres. What Little Wings does is help to bridge that gap. It helps get them to the big cities, the capital cities—particularly Sydney and Brisbane—to make sure they get the care that they need. Whether they live in Warren or whether they live in 'the warren' in my electorate, they get the same access to great care. Last year, they helped over 5,000 children in rural, regional and remote areas.

Dusty on this walk has raised almost half a million dollars. It came about while he was lying in the dam, he and his mum told us. He had this idea that he just wanted to do something to assist kids in need. What a fine young man he is. He has raised almost $500,000. He asked us to match it, and the Australian government will match it, and I think that would be welcomed by every Australian. In addition to that—in addition to the million dollars that he's raised—we're extending funding for Little Wings for a further two years. That's an additional million dollars to make sure Little Wings can keep flying.

I want to congratulate Dusty. I want to wish him all the best. He starts high school next year. Just think about this—a 12-year-old boy, still in year 6, making this absolute commitment to his fellow Australians and in particular his fellow young Australians from regional communities like Warren. What a cracking lad he is, and he's an inspiration for our entire nation. At a time when we need more optimism, this kid has the lot. Well done, Dusty.

Jamie Chaffey

Jamie Chaffey Parkes, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture

2:49 pm

on indulgence—I want to associate my comments with the Prime Minister's. Thank you for matching the funding. In fact, just looking online at the moment—because fundraising's still continuing—it's almost $540,000 that Dusty has raised. I also want to congratulate Dusty, his mother, Sarah, also a nurse who serves with Little Wings, and the CEO of Little Wings, Clare, who also joined Dusty for the more than 540 kilometre walk over 16 days down here to Canberra. I was fortunate enough to join them on the road for several of those days—only for short times, of course. I couldn't possibly walk that far a distance. But this is something that has been planned for many, many months. He really is a man in a boy's body, showing that commitment. But it's all of the communities along that journey as well that have fundraised and been part of this journey. I do appreciate and thank the Prime Minister and the government for their support.