Page 733 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 May 1992
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but this particular one has captured the imagination and I think it would do us all good to consider supporting this in some way, whether by taking part in the famine personally - that might depend on one's own predilection for food - or by sponsoring somebody, such as me, who is going in the famine.
The money that is raised goes a very long way. I would like to refer to some of the ways in which it can be spent to great effect. The average Australian family, I understand, spends something like $38 a year on chewing gum. In the Third World $38 can provide a survival supply of seeds and tools for two families in Sudan.
Mr Connolly: You must have my $38 worth, Gary.
MR HUMPHRIES: You do not use your $38. Mr Connolly, I expect a $38 sponsorship from you for me or some other worthy person for the famine. The average Australian family spends $90 a year on lollies. I do not know whether you do that, Mr Connolly; but that is what other families spend. In Bangladesh that can provide 10 children with clean water from new wells, medicines and deworming. An Australian family spends $120 a year on ice-cream or chocolate or potato chips; but in the Third World it can immunise 12 children against killer diseases such as measles, diphtheria and whooping cough.
Madam Speaker, this is an important way for us to take part in a program of equalising the imbalance between the First and Third Worlds. The Second World, by the way, has probably disappeared now; so we might upgrade the Third World to the Second World, I am not sure. But this is a way of equalising the inequalities between different parts of the world. Perhaps social change is not occurring in the same way as it used to occur, but that does not relieve us from the burden of taking our role in making sure that poverty and hunger are relieved. I therefore commend the famine and hope that people will take part in some way in that project.
Red Shield Appeal : Police Fundraising Activity
MR STEVENSON (3.45): On Sunday, as we would all be well aware, the Red Shield Appeal is to take place. The Salvation Army, with some 1,000 collectors, seek to collect $590,000 in the ACT alone. I think that all members would support the many activities of the Salvation Army. Most of us in Canberra would agree with the statement, "Thank God for the Salvos". They do valuable work.
The other point that I wanted to raise is some excellent work done by members of the police force, particularly the 10 members of the Police Rescue Squad. They had a 520-kilometre run to collect money for cancer victims. It seems that they have collected $17,600 so far for the ACT Cancer Society. What a wonderful thing it is to see the police out there in the community once again. We are getting a community police force in the ACT.
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