Page 107 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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families from the ACT region were in attendance and were joined by over 400 spectators.
As well as raising awareness, the rally made for a great day with food, raffles and plenty of entertainment. Spectators were later invited to a slow lap around the circuit, which I very much enjoyed. I was pleased to see that last year’s event was even bigger than the year before, raising in excess of $8,000 for the foundation.
I would like to thank Daniel Cummins for the tremendous work he did in making the event happen. I should also note that Daniel was a recipient of a 2009 ACT Children’s Week child development award for individuals, groups or organisations who have made extraordinary contributions to children and young people, significantly improving their opportunities to learn and grow. This award was in recognition of his initiative in setting up the hill climb event. His commitment to HeartKids is a tribute to Daniel’s brother, William, who died from congenital heart disease.
I would also like to commend the Southern District Motorsports Association and their members for hosting the event. Special mention should also be made of the local businesses that got behind the event. The sponsors included Supabarn supermarkets, U8one2, Tongue & Groove, Ozzy Tyres, CRAFT ACT and fire and first-aid services. I also thank the competitors for their generosity.
Finally, I would like to thank the board of HeartKids New South Wales and the ACT for their tireless efforts in trying to combat childhood heart disease, the chair, Ryan Payne, his deputy, Jayne Blake, and their fellow board members, Stephanie King, David Goodenough, Erron Palmer, Des Hammond, Stephen Snowden and Allan Bruty. I would also like to thank the staff and volunteers of the organisation. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the ACT representative, Sarah Henderson-Smith, for her commitment to the cause.
I urge all members to get behind this year’s event. For more information, please visit www.heartkidsnsw.org.au.
Human rights—Iran
Cerebral Palsy Alliance
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (5.45): On 10 February at Parliament House, I attended and spoke at the rally for democracy in Iran. I would like to acknowledge the hard work, courage and dedication of Mohammed Sadeghpour in the work he is doing to draw people’s attention to the human rights abuses that are occurring in Iran and for organising the rally last week. The rally called for the condemnation of the executions and repression that is occurring in Iran, as has been done by organisations such as Amnesty International, and for the thousands of people in Camp Ashraf in Iraq to be protected.
Just recently, Amnesty International released a report into people who had been detained during the arrests in Iran in 2009. Amnesty International condemned the executions of two men who were arrested in September 2009 during mass protests following Iran’s disputed presidential election. Their hangings in January this year are
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