Heroic army nurse honoured
Last week I visited the newly unveiled statue of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE at the Australian War Memorial.
This remarkable woman is a hero and deserving of each of the many accolades she received during her life. She is the first individual woman or nurse to be honoured by a statue in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial.
After completing high school and nursing training in Broken Hill, Lt. Col. Bullwinkel served in the Australian Army Nursing Service and was the only survivor of a massacre which occurred in 1942 on Banka Island off the coast of Indonesia. She then spent more than three years as a Prisoner of War.
After all of this she spent the rest of her life devoted to nursing, to honouring the memory of her fellow nurses who lost their lives, and to service. Hers is an incredible story of courage and resilience, which I hope all who visit her memorial will take the opportunity to reflect on.
Connections with the Republic of Korea
One of my roles as Chief Whip for the Nationals is to provide briefings to delegations coming to Canberra through the Australian Political Exchange Council.
Last week I spoke to the 8th Delegation from the Republic of Korea, including representatives from both the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) which has been the ruling party over the last decade under different names and its opposition, the People Power Party (PPP).
They were very interested in the sheer size of the Parkes electorate, which is roughly 4 times the size of Korea, and how Australia balances its economic growth across both urban and regional areas, which is a challenge for both countries.
Australia and indeed the electorate of Parkes has important ties with the Republic of Korea, especially in the area of critical minerals, so maintaining our connections is beneficial for each of us.
Local champion sets her sights on Paris
During the week my wife Robyn and I were able to catch up with a local champion in Parliament House.
Jamieson Leeson of Dunedoo is a world champion in the sport of wheelchair boccia and has her sights set on the Paris Paralympics in 2024. With the support of her mother Amanda, Jamieson achieved a gold medal at the Montreal 2023 World Cup and returned with a ranking of 2nd in the world.
We met Jamieson in Parliament House for the Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Australia Parliamentary Event which focuses on advancements in SMA research and treatment. New treatments are resulting in improved quality of life, especially for the next generation affected by SMA.
We’ll be cheering for you Jamieson – best wishes as you train for the coming year!