It is with pleasure that I rise tonight to acknowledge the bravery of the 102nd Field Battery, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery for its collective gallantry and heroic actions that took place on the night of 12 to 13 May 1968 in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The 102nd’s exemplary conduct on that evening…
DetailsI rise tonight to speak on the important matter of organ and tissue donation in Australia. Last week Australians celebrated DonateLife Week 2012. The awareness campaign’s sole purpose is to raise the profile of organ and tissue donation in the community, and that is why I rise tonight-to do my part in promoting this very…
DetailsAfter Sir Zelman Cowen’s death I spoke to my father, Angelo Vasta QC, who reminisced that, out of all the lecturers during his time at the University of Melbourne, Sir Zelman was by far the most inspirational and interesting. Some lecturers with a high intellect seemed to expect their listeners to grasp complex legal principles…
DetailsYesterday many of us celebrated Valentine’s Day but, perhaps more importantly, 14 February was also National Servicemen’s Day-a day for Australians to pay tribute to those who served our nation in times of war and peace. Of the 287,000 young Nashos who served between 1951 and 1972, 212 made the ultimate sacrifice. Four of these…
DetailsI rise this afternoon to join my voice in commemorating this amazing watershed in our great nation’s history-that is, the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. As we all know, 6 February 2012 marked the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty. It was in 1952, at the tender age of 25, that the Commonwealth rejoiced at…
DetailsIt is with pleasure that I rise today to acknowledge the volunteers in the Bonner electorate who have been recognised by the Australian government for their international service. I am sure that everyone in this House will agree with me when I say that volunteers are the lifeblood of the community. I am extremely proud…
DetailsIt is with pleasure I rise this afternoon to acknowledge a most humble man who has accomplished many great things, both for his country and abroad. Allen Warren is a constituent in my electorate of Bonner who does not wish for recognition or acknowledgment, but these are so often the people who deserve it most.…
DetailsSince I was re-elected late last year, I have noticed that I have received a big increase in the amount of constituent correspondence compared to when I was in office back in 2007. What this shows is that there is a lot of need in our community, a lot of concern about the direction of…
DetailsI present the report from the Publications Committee sitting in conference with the Publications Committee of the Senate. Copies of the report are being placed on the table. Report-by leave-agreed to.
I present the report from the Publications Committee sitting in conference with the Publications Committee of the Senate. Copies of the report are being placed on the table. Report-by leave-agreed to.