Mr BUCHHOLZ (Wright) (13:52): I was just looking for my medication, Mr Deputy Speaker! A very passionate and robust contribution by the member for Whitlam. I rise to acknowledge the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association of Australia and the enormous contribution they make to regional and rural Australia in helping remote families get their kids off to boarding school as well as helping them with the enormous challenges that face that sector. Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time in Western Australia and attend the association’s national conference, at which they had no less than 180 delegates from all around Australia representing 37 different unique geographical branches. They all travelled to Western Australia, advocating for a better deal for kids travelling from remote areas off to boarding school.
Today in the House we have four distinguished members of the executive. Wendy Hick is their federal president. She is in the House today, along with the immediate past president, Judy Sinclair-Newton ; their federal public relations officer, Nikki McQueen ; and a federal councillor from Queensland, Lynise Conaghan. These people work tirelessly, and they offer their contributions in a voluntary capacity.
More recently, during the campaign, the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, at the National Press Club on 22 June announced four measures. I will not run through what those measures are, but the last one is a review—and these people will be working tirelessly to make sure that the families in regional and remote Australia get a better deal. (Time expired)