Page 3351 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 22 September 2015
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St Clare of Assisi Primary School
MR WALL (Brindabella) (4.37): I rise this evening to acknowledge the four streams of year 6 classes at St Clare of Assisi Primary School in Conder. A few weeks ago some members in this place may have received letters from these students about issues that mattered to them and issues they had been taking the time to research. I received six of these letters in my office and subsequently I had the opportunity, last Friday, to go down and visit many of the students in class to see if I could provide some further insight on the topics that they have raised with me in person. I also offered a broad opportunity to discuss issues of a political nature which they have been studying this term.
The students that wrote to me raised a number of issues. Liana wrote to me asking why we still have puppy farms operating in the ACT. Adam wrote to me about free-range eggs and provided a great deal of information on how free-range chickens are farmed. Callum also wrote to me about free-range eggs and how all forms of eggs that are produced should be free-range chicken products. Zac wrote to me about feral goats—clearly thinking outside the square.
Dylan raised the issue of increasing levels of rubbish going into our landfill. He also highlighted the great work that the school has been doing, along with one of his fellow students, to try and minimise some of the rubbish that is being collected through the school. Dylan also highlighted the fact that St Clare of Assisi recently came second in a keep Australia beautiful competition that has resulted in some new recycling bins and a mascot called “Bamboo”, who is the recycling panda for the school. Taylor wrote to me about Tasmanian devils and provided some research on why this species is at significant risk of becoming extinct.
It was a pleasure to hear from the students and to go out and meet with them in their class. I commend the teacher of year 6 blue at St Clare of Assisi Primary School, Anna Stincic, for encouraging the kids to have their voices heard by writing to their local members. As I promised them, each of them will be receiving a response to the letters they have written to me in the coming weeks.
Lifeline—book fair
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (4.39): I take this opportunity to acknowledge Lifeline, which held their biggest ever Canberra book fair on the weekend of Friday, 18 September to Sunday, 20 September. Events such as these, enormous events, do not just happen; they take a lot of coordination, hard work, networking, advertising and a lot of coordination of volunteers. This year Lifeline Canberra’s EPIC book fair saw a record number of people through the door. The majority of the funding raised will assist to keep the suicide prevention line—13 11 14—the telephone crisis support service, available to our Canberra community.
The book fair at EPIC offered around 250,000 donated items for sale, with a wide range of things for sale. They sell not just books but magazines, CDs, DVDs, puzzles, and a range of other things that are donated. For 43 years Lifeline Canberra has provided the telephone crisis support on 13 11 14 to the people of Canberra and the
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