Page 3974 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
shock many people to know that on average in Australia someone attempts suicide every 10 minutes and a life is lost to suicide every four hours. That means over 2,000 Australians take their own lives every year. Suicide is not something easily spoken about by most people. The topic, like depression or mental illness, is often referred to as a taboo.
All in all, the event was deemed a huge success, due largely in part to the fine details of the theme and the perfect balance of fun with a very serious message. It was a great night, despite the revelry and some of the jibes. It truly was. A lot of us attend balls on a regular basis. This one was very different. Lifeline are going to do it every two years. So I look forward in two years to the theme that will top Willy Wonka and his oompa loompas.
What I think it is worthy to do, though, is ask all Canberrans to support those that support organisations like Lifeline. The major sponsors were Community CPS, Clear Complexions, Toll Group, ActewAGL and Projection Coordination. The Candy Bar was sponsored by Executive Intelligence Group. Some of the suppliers were people like Hotel Realm, Nova Multimedia and Elect Printing. There were also a huge number of prizes donated for the night and, with due credit, they came from the ACT government, Adoretea, Animor Massage Services, Anytime Fitness, Australian Commonwealth Games Association, Belconnen Premier Inn, Bella Vista, Benedict House, Bliss Gardens and Giftware, Bunnings Belconnen, Christine’s Place, Clear Complexions, Coordinate, Crabtree and Evelyn, Dawn Fraser, Dendy Cinemas, Dinosaur Museum, Englobo Group, Faux Tanning, Fight of Fancy, Frugii, Gungahlin Marketplace, Harbourfront Restaurant, the Helen Cross stilnox campaign, Maggie Beer Products, Maria Slater Travel, Mezzalira Restaurant, Myer Canberra Centre, National Gallery of Australia, and others. (Time expired.)
Hearing impairment and deafness expo
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Community Services, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Women and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs) (6.08): I will be brief. I just wanted to make reference to yesterday’s hearing impairment and deafness expo that Mr Doszpot has referred to. I think one thing that he forgot to say was that there was life membership awarded to two people at the expo. I want to congratulate Mr Jack White OAM, who has worked tirelessly in the installation of hearing induction loops in homes, public buildings and government departments, as well as being on the ACT Deafness Resource Centre board for 10 years and the last five years as treasurer.
A life membership award was also awarded to Mrs Sue Daw OAM, who is the Canberra coordinator of Better Hearing Australia and has been coordinating lip-reading classes for those with a hearing impairment for several years. Mrs Daws has been on the board of the ACT Deafness Resource Centre as a representative of Better Hearing Australia, Canberra branch, for the last 10 years.
As to some of the comments yesterday around Mr Hargreaves’s private member’s motion, for the information of Mr Doszpot, who is not here—but I am sure he will follow this up—I inform him that the proposed disability insurance scheme is
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video