21 November, 2024.
I am so lucky to live in and represent the people of Wollondilly electorate, from Warragamba to Burradoo. I appreciate all the things that we have been given and have received, and look forward to future opportunities to fight for. For me, Christmas is a time of reflection and thankfulness. Like previous members who have spoken today, I thank the Clerks, all members, our staff, the people who look after us on committees, the cleaners and the restaurant people. The cleaners helped me during the year by telling me that I had my skirt on backwards. The restaurant staff make sure that my guests get the right kind of food. It has been amazing. I very much thank everyone who makes this crazy place work.
Christmas is different for many people. Obviously, it is one of the major Christian celebrations of the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ and is a celebration of love, joy and kindness. Christians often attend church and follow beautiful traditions. It is also celebrated by people of non-Christian religions and countries—such as India, China, Japan and Korea—as a celebration of love. In the Northern Hemisphere, where some of my friends live, there are log fires, eggnog and cuddly jumpers, and the Family Circle biscuit selection. There are flourishes of holly or perhaps even a traditional tree.
In Australia we are amazing. We decorate our pine trees, we have pretend snow and we try to follow old traditions with roast dinners and puddings, sweating as the temperatures rise on the thermometer. I am not sure why we do that. Hopefully, barbeques and prawns will be on the agenda. Then comes the part that I am really looking forward to: the Santa Claus part. I have two beautiful grandsons and a little granddaughter. Excitedly and eagerly, we wait for Santa Claus to give us gifts—magically, while we are all asleep. For some, it might simply be a day off work and a time to relax.
I acknowledge three groups of people this Christmas. First, we need to remember that on this day, while each of us stop, celebrate and enjoy our brunches, lunches and dinners, there are others who are lonely, homeless and really doing it tough. To them, I say we care. The second group are the people who provide essential services, such as our police, paramedics, nurses, midwives and doctors, who continue to look after us and work all Christmas Day, missing out on celebrations with their families. I encourage people to look after themselves and be kind on Christmas Day because the need for emergency services increases into Christmas night and things can get quite ugly. I thank those people who work so hard for us.
The third group I acknowledge are my amazing staff and the volunteers who work in my office. That includes Louise, Ben, Sandra, Noel, Rose, Erin, Jeremy and Sue, and a couple of other volunteers who pop in and out. I thank them for all their support during the year and the crazy movies that we have just made—making a point about the 30‑minute cities that do not actually work. I also thank my husband, Neil. The office is an amazing place to be. People would be amazed to know we have an incubator, with ducklings coming in the next couple of weeks. Not only do we help each other and everyone in our area but also we say "family first", and that includes every person in Wollondilly, who is very welcome to pop into our office. This Christmas I hope people find love, hope and joy. I wish them all a very merry Christmas. May the warmth of the season stay with us all throughout the coming year.