Senate debates

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Adjournment

New South Wales Central Coast: Women's Issues

9:21 pm

Photo of Deborah O'NeillDeborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to stand in this place this evening, having spent a little bit of the evening over in the green chamber listening to the budget in reply by Mr Shorten, and I concur with the comments that have been put on the record this evening by Senator Singh. I am outraged by the impact that the Abbott budget will have on the people of Tasmania, and I am very, very concerned about what it will do to the people of New South Wales. But I think I might make some more remarks on that on another occasion.

This evening I would like to speak to some of the good things that are happening in the state of New South Wales, particularly with regard to the Central Coast, arising out of the most recent state government election. I put on the record my absolute delight in the return to the benches, sadly still of the opposition, of the new member for Wyong, David Harris, a great member, who is returning to continue his interrupted period of work. I would also like to acknowledge the arrival of David Mehan, the new member for The Entrance. But I would like to particularly focus my remarks this evening on women. I want to celebrate also the arrival in the New South Wales parliament of two fantastic Central Coast women. From the north and the seat of Swansea, of which 40 per cent is in the Central Coast region, is a very talented woman who I am sure will represent the community with a great deal of style and compassion, Yasmin Cattley, and, in the southern part of the Central Coast from the border that goes to the Hawkesbury River, Kathy Smith in the seat of Gosford. These amazing women are there representing the entire community, but they bring a very particular perspective. It is vital that we address issues that relate to women's business, women's issues, women's needs and demands. There is much talk about great success by women. There is also growing mindfulness—and I am pleased to see that this is something that is being discussed by both sides of the house—about the impact of domestic violence, of which many women are the victims. Sadly, that reality is with us, but still there are amazing women doing amazing work on the Central Coast.

I commence by acknowledging Robyn Warburton. In retirement from teaching, Robyn discovered a passion for researching and writing local history. She loves stories, storytelling and story tellers. This combination of talents led to her creating a project for herself to collate and edit over 115 contributions from local 'Coasties' from the peninsula towards the southern end of the Central Coast known as the Bouddi Peninsula. She put them together in a book called 'Bouddi bites'. Every community around the country needs a Robyn Warburton—someone with passion and understanding about her place, her local community; someone who wants to support and nurture others to share their valuable histories and contributions. Robyn, through her work and her advocacy for her community and her recording of its history, is an agent for action who has worked tirelessly to promote and protect all that she loves and values on her home turf. Her home turf is the Bouddi Peninsula. It is an exceptionally beautiful place on the southern end of the NSW Central Coast, which delights newcomers with its incredible beauty. In my first speech in the other place, I put on the record that the term 'Bouddi' is to reflect the place where the waves beat like a heartbeat. It is indeed a magnificent part of this country.

Some years ago the Bouddi Society held a history day at Wagstaffe Hall. The community response was phenomenal. People flocked to the hall armed with old family photos, stories of their forebears, yellowed newspaper clippings and memories of their childhoods. It was a great community event. It was at that event that 'Bouddi Bites' was conceived. Robyn Warburton then commenced the enormous task of bringing this idea to fruition. Her research was very thorough and bower-bird like, and her skills in winkling out anecdotes and history snippets that illuminate life on the extraordinarily beautiful Bouddi Peninsula have combined to create a wonderful read. She brings us an amusing story of ladylike 'thieves' in the 1920s, who could not resist helping themselves to flannel flowers in the garden of a weekender and found themselves in a bit of a pickle with the local police. Robyn reveals insights into the lives of many of the original families who fostered children, rolled up their sleeves to pitch in and made sacrifices to contribute to their society in very generous ways. That set the path and the tone for the all-embracing spirit that so characterises the Bouddi Peninsula today. I was absolutely thrilled to launch Robyn's 'Bouddi Bites' book. Robyn Warburton and the Bouddi Society worked together to create that. I commend 'Bouddi Bites' to the Senate. I would also like to take time to acknowledge the Hardys Bay author and journalist Susan Kurosawa for her assistance in compiling the information about Robyn for this speech this evening.

Pamela Lemoine is another inspirational Central Coast woman. At 81 years of age, Pamela is a woman who I have been fortunate enough to meet through my membership of the Friends of Ourimbah Campus of the University of Newcastle, now more commonly known as the Central Coast campus, which is indeed in the suburb of Ourimbah. This evening I acknowledge Pamela's ongoing contribution to our community over very many years. She is absolutely passionate about promoting peace and the role of women in government and society. Pamela has worked for a number of NGOs, including the Australian Federation of Graduate Women, United Nations Association of Australia, the Refugee Council of Australia, Amnesty International and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Pamela recently travelled to The Hague for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom centennial congress at the Peace Palace. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom aims to achieve a more just and equal world, free from war and violence, where everyone has the full benefit of human rights. I could not think of anybody who represents those values in her person more than Pamela Lemoine. She is truly a remarkable woman and a delight in terms of company. Pamela described the Peace Palace as being a beautiful place, with lovely grounds. She said: 'There was nothing like being part of this congregation of women of all nationalities, some from occupied countries in the Middle East, mingling informally after the sessions, and made very colourful by the people in national dress.' I am proud to report that Pamela will be attending the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Australian Centenary Celebrations in Canberra in late May and is looking forward to the awarding of its inaugural peace prizes.

Another critical and brand new event for women on the Central Coast is worthy of recording tonight as well. Earlier this year I was asked to open the inaugural Central Coast International Women's Day Expo. The theme was celebrating women on the Central Coast. Tonight I would like to especially thank and acknowledge the organising committee led by Chairperson Liz North, Secretary Lyn Davies and Treasurer Ian Everitt. The event was held on the Central Coast campus of the University of Newcastle at Ourimbah. There were dozens and dozens of community groups, service clubs and public services represented. They were all putting their face out there in the community, collected together to engage women and to reveal to women the sorts of services, support and opportunities that are abundant on the Central Coast.

Taking advantage of its location and utilising the university campus, there were a series of seminars held at the expo. Superintendent Daniel Sullivan talked about domestic violence. Danny Sullivan is a graduate of one of our local high schools, St Edward's College—a Christian Brothers college at East Gosford at which I had a very happy period of teaching—and he is an incredible champion in our community. Not only did he lead very capably in our recent category 2 cyclonic event, but he is a champion for peace and freedom in his own way, standing up against domestic violence in the most unambiguous terms.

I would also like to acknowledge Rosalie Bunn, who spoke to women returning to education. There were also seminars on energy and water, on self-esteem and on Indigenous affairs.

I myself spoke about women and superannuation, and I did reflect on how wonderful it was, as a Labor woman, to actually be able to be in a situation where we could have a conversation about superannuation. As I say to many of the students that I talk to at the schools that I visit and who come to visit this place, I grew up in a family, like very many Australians, where 'superannuation' was not a word that we had even heard. It was not part of our life or our reality. It was envisioned by Labor; it was enacted by Labor—against incredible opposition from those opposite, who said that the country could not afford it. Their miserly rhetoric was in ascendancy at the time. But our will conquered their lack of vision, and now we have a $1.8 trillion superannuation industry. Sadly, though, women are not yet reaping the benefits of that. Much work remains to be done for women, and I am sure that we will be able to continue to do that work here in this parliament.