Mr HAMILTON (Groom) (18:56): It’s Christmas time and, as we head to that time of year, we want to spend time with our loved ones and families. I want to take a moment to say thank you to those who are going to take care of us during this period in Toowoomba. It obviously has a huge health sector that looks after such a large region of South-East Queensland and northern New South Wales. So, everyone working in our hospitals across the Christmas period—Toowoomba Hospital, St Vincent’s and St Andrew’s down at Oakey—thank you for all you do for us. I thank our GPs, and I give a big shout-out to the Mary Street Family Practice, who have looked after my family so well for so long. I thank all of our pharmacies, many of whom came together and helped me through some pretty significant debates in this place over this time. Thank you so much to Chris Owen at Highfields in particular.
We have seen a spate of very sad and unfortunate accidents in our region over the last week, so obviously the message to everyone is to stay safe on our roads. But to our ambulance crews, police and firefighters, the guys and girls who unfortunately have to turn up to those things, I want to say thank you so much for all you do to keep us safe, for looking after us and for being there in our worst moments. I give a quick shout-out to my rural fire brigade up at Flagstone. I promise I will come and do some training over Christmas and familiarise myself with the equipment again.
To those across the aged-care sector in our region, I say thank you very much. We have so many people moving to Toowoomba at a certain period in their lives, and I just thank you for looking after some of our older Australians, some of whom will be alone over Christmas and so that extra care means so much. I say thank you to those at BlueCare and Middle Ridge who look after my father, Alan, and make his life that much better.
Then there’s the LifeFlight crews. Toowoomba has the busiest LifeFlight base. We see those helicopters just constantly flying in to Toowoomba Hospital. For all the work you do looking after people in rural communities who don’t have health care on hand, bringing them into Toowoomba, goodness me, thank you so much.
I would like to turn my attention to some great charities. I want everyone to hear what great work they do in our community. Loads of Love is one. Every Christmas these guys collect wonderful Christmas hampers and they look after so many people—unfortunately, it will be so many more people in the current economic situation we find ourselves in—making sure they have food on the table. Last Christmas, I was contacted on Boxing Day by a woman in a terrible state. She had effectively exhausted herself over the previous year looking after her four-year-old son who had cancer, and Loads of Love, with about two hours notice, when they found out about the state she was in, were able to get stuff to her—food, toys, presents, necessities and all the sorts of things she needed—on that day. That’s what they are there for—to look after people. So thank you, Gus Romero the team at Loads of Love, who do so much for our community.
The other one I want to talk about is Base Services. Base Services look after homeless people and give them a pathway to employment. They also do some other great things. They run a Christmas hamper campaign to help out homeless people in our community. It is so needed and it’s such a worthy cause. To my good mate Nat, and Tiff: thank you for everything you do for our community.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you are able to help out at all, they run a Christmas Day lunch for homeless people in Toowoomba. This is a great thing they do every year. Of course, having met them, you wouldn’t expect anything different—their hearts are so big. It’s a wonderful thing that they do in our community.
For the kids, Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland is on this year again. You will see the same exciting light displays that have been in place there for a generation. The Eiffel Tower, the Santa Clauses—they’re all going to be there again. The Lions Club of Toowoomba West do a great job, making this happen every year. Last year, 58,000 visitors came to see our Christmas Wonderland. And what they do is: they support local charities that need that help. This year, those getting support are the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation, and Toowoomba Hospice—such a crucial organisation for us; and also Lifeline Darling Downs will be recipients of their work this year. It’s a great thing that happens in our community—great charities being supported.
In my final 20 seconds of this year, Speaker, if it has been the case that I have tested your patience whilst in the chair, I hope you will take this time, with Christmas cheer, to forgive me for occasionally straying and pushing the bounds. I appreciate all you’ve done as our Speaker. I wish everyone here, on all sides of the chamber, a merry Christmas.
The SPEAKER: The member for Groom is correct; Christmas is a time of giving. The chair will be resumed tomorrow, Friday 29 November 2024, at approximately 7 am.
Sitting suspended from 19:01 to
Bill returned from the Senate with amendments.
