CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS: Riverina Electorate: Health Services

Mr McCormack (Riverina) (10:12): I rise today to say that last Friday I had the absolute pleasure to officially open the Temora Medical Complex in Hoskins Street. This was the realisation of a six-year dream for Temora, and no-one worked harder for that facility's opening than the new Mayor of Temora Shire Council, Councillor Rick Firman, in his capacity as a councillor and as deputy mayor before the last election as well as in his role as the chairman of the council's Health Strategies Committee.

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Cristy Houghton
MOTIONS: Murray-Darling Basin Plan Disallowance

That the Basin Plan made under the Water Act 2007 and presented to the House on 26 November 2012, be disallowed.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan has generated a wealth of fear and uncertainty for regional communities and cost good, hardworking country people a wealth of money. An attack on the nation's farmers is, in fact, an attack on the nation itself. This is an assault on regional Australia.

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Cristy Houghton
ADJOURNMENT: Riverina Electorate: Youth Events

Mr McCormack (Riverina) (11:51): Australia's youth are wonderful and this is certainly so in the Riverina. I opened the Shout Out regional New South Wales Youth Summit at Griffith last Wednesday and then spent an absorbing time at the event at which local high schoolers had the opportunity to meet local decision-makers, share their experiences with education and meet inspirational people such as Sam Cawthorn.

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Cristy Houghton
COMMITTEES: Regional Australia Committee

Mr McCormack (Riverina) (11:05): by leave—I thank the minister at the table for his indulgence. The minister at the table, the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, knows full well how important it is to ensure that we have productive irrigation in regional Australia. That is certainly so in the Riverina area, and I know he is particularly conscious of how many billions of dollars worth of exports come out of that region.

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Cristy Houghton
CONDOLENCES: Courtenay, Mr Bryce AM

Intelligence is a harder gift. For this you must work, you must practise it, challenge it, and maybe toward the end of your life you will master it.

Today, as we mourn his passing and celebrate his enormous contribution, we can reflect on how Courtenay mastered that intelligence and inspired all who read his books.

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Cristy Houghton
CONDOLENCES: Riordan, Hon. Joseph Martin (Joe)

Mr McCormack (Riverina) (18:41): We mourn the death, yet celebrate the life of Joseph Martin 'Joe' Riordan, AO. Sydney-born Riordan was educated at Patrician Brothers School and Marist Brothers College. He had a Labor pedigree. He was the nephew of Darby Riordan, the Labor member of the House of Representatives for Kennedy from 1929 to 1936. Joe married Patricia Watkins in 1955, and they had six children.

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Cristy Houghton