Mr KIELY - 2006-11-28
It is a happy question, unlike the others that have been asked lately. It has been a wonderful week for Territorians. Will you tell the House about the achievements of some of our high flyers?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is always important to celebrate the achievements of Territorians. It has been a most significant few days. You have to start with the amazing journey of Jessica Mauboy. In April, Jessica auditioned under a tree in Alice Springs. She did not know what she was going to sing, but sang like an angel. Just seven months later, last Sunday night, there she was in a horse-drawn carriage with thousands of delighted fans at the Opera House, and an Australia-wide audience of something like two or three million, in the final of Australian Idol. She has done an amazing thing.
We had a wonderful celebration for Jess at the amphitheatre. A number of members here joined 3500 people at the amphitheatre on Sunday to watch the final of Australian Idol on the big screen. Everyone was delighted at the achievement of Jessica Mauboy. It was not just any particular age group; if you looked around, there were mums and dads, grandparents, grandkids, teenagers, 20-somethings and 30-somethings. It was a truly delighted audience wanting to see if young Jess could do almost the impossible and win Australian Idol.
The talent she has and the spirit she has shown over the last seven months have been extraordinary. She is just 17, a Year 11 kid from Sanderson High School. She has inspired and delighted all of us, not just here in the Territory but around the country. It was wonderful on Sunday night to see her classmates from Sanderson High and the member for Sanderson enjoying the experience of a Wulagi kid having done so well. There were banners, which looked great. Well done, member for Sanderson, for working with the Wulagi Primary School and Sanderson High kids to do that.
We were all hoping for the fairytale ending. It did not happen, but she was a winner. There is no doubt about it. She is a winner; her amazing talent, beautiful voice and lovely personality shone through.
No one would take it away from Damien. He gave a fantastic performance and has a great voice, but Jess was up there with him. When the announcement was made, she smiled. She carried it off beautifully when most of us would have felt pretty sad. I know that people at the amphitheatre on Sunday night were pretty sad; it was a very deflated atmosphere at the end.
We should say thank you to her. She has been a wonderful ambassador. She is a great talent and every Territorian supports her. Well done, Jess. Thank you for really doing the Territory proud.
She is not the only young Territorian who has done well. Wulagi is doing very well at the moment. What is it about Wulagi? Last week, Katharina Fehringer was announced as the Territory’s entrant in the Young Australian of the Year Awards.
A finalist for the Australian of the Year Award, Raymattja Marika, a teacher, translator and academic, comes from the member for Nhulunbuy’s electorate. It has been a fantastic year for Raymattja because she was announced Territorian for the Year in July. She has now been nominated for the Australian of the Year award and I wish her the best of luck.
Senior Territorian of the Year finalist is Pat Anderson; entrants in the Local Heroes category are Frank Fotiades and Carmel Hattch.
Well done. That is again a fantastic effort - they are proud Territorians nominated for the Australia of the Year Awards.
Talking of local heroes, one is Aaron Pike, the Palmerston golfer who nearly knocked their socks off in the Masters last weekend. He is only 21. He has gone to Queensland to further his golf, but he learned golf in the Territory. The experts were saying Aaron would fade away. He did well for the first two holes. He had a bit of a bump and came back and came fourth. That is a young man with a great future.
Let us wish every single one of these Territorians who have done so well over the last week all the best in their future.
Jess holds a special place in our hearts because she had to perform so well for so many weeks under such pressure. However, to every other Territorian – Katharina, Pat, Raymattja, Aaron and the others I mentioned: well done, you have made us proud.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I do not believe we have had an hour. We had notices.
Madam SPEAKER: It is up to the Leader of Government Business.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is always important to celebrate the achievements of Territorians. It has been a most significant few days. You have to start with the amazing journey of Jessica Mauboy. In April, Jessica auditioned under a tree in Alice Springs. She did not know what she was going to sing, but sang like an angel. Just seven months later, last Sunday night, there she was in a horse-drawn carriage with thousands of delighted fans at the Opera House, and an Australia-wide audience of something like two or three million, in the final of Australian Idol. She has done an amazing thing.
We had a wonderful celebration for Jess at the amphitheatre. A number of members here joined 3500 people at the amphitheatre on Sunday to watch the final of Australian Idol on the big screen. Everyone was delighted at the achievement of Jessica Mauboy. It was not just any particular age group; if you looked around, there were mums and dads, grandparents, grandkids, teenagers, 20-somethings and 30-somethings. It was a truly delighted audience wanting to see if young Jess could do almost the impossible and win Australian Idol.
The talent she has and the spirit she has shown over the last seven months have been extraordinary. She is just 17, a Year 11 kid from Sanderson High School. She has inspired and delighted all of us, not just here in the Territory but around the country. It was wonderful on Sunday night to see her classmates from Sanderson High and the member for Sanderson enjoying the experience of a Wulagi kid having done so well. There were banners, which looked great. Well done, member for Sanderson, for working with the Wulagi Primary School and Sanderson High kids to do that.
We were all hoping for the fairytale ending. It did not happen, but she was a winner. There is no doubt about it. She is a winner; her amazing talent, beautiful voice and lovely personality shone through.
No one would take it away from Damien. He gave a fantastic performance and has a great voice, but Jess was up there with him. When the announcement was made, she smiled. She carried it off beautifully when most of us would have felt pretty sad. I know that people at the amphitheatre on Sunday night were pretty sad; it was a very deflated atmosphere at the end.
We should say thank you to her. She has been a wonderful ambassador. She is a great talent and every Territorian supports her. Well done, Jess. Thank you for really doing the Territory proud.
She is not the only young Territorian who has done well. Wulagi is doing very well at the moment. What is it about Wulagi? Last week, Katharina Fehringer was announced as the Territory’s entrant in the Young Australian of the Year Awards.
A finalist for the Australian of the Year Award, Raymattja Marika, a teacher, translator and academic, comes from the member for Nhulunbuy’s electorate. It has been a fantastic year for Raymattja because she was announced Territorian for the Year in July. She has now been nominated for the Australian of the Year award and I wish her the best of luck.
Senior Territorian of the Year finalist is Pat Anderson; entrants in the Local Heroes category are Frank Fotiades and Carmel Hattch.
Well done. That is again a fantastic effort - they are proud Territorians nominated for the Australia of the Year Awards.
Talking of local heroes, one is Aaron Pike, the Palmerston golfer who nearly knocked their socks off in the Masters last weekend. He is only 21. He has gone to Queensland to further his golf, but he learned golf in the Territory. The experts were saying Aaron would fade away. He did well for the first two holes. He had a bit of a bump and came back and came fourth. That is a young man with a great future.
Let us wish every single one of these Territorians who have done so well over the last week all the best in their future.
Jess holds a special place in our hearts because she had to perform so well for so many weeks under such pressure. However, to every other Territorian – Katharina, Pat, Raymattja, Aaron and the others I mentioned: well done, you have made us proud.
Mr HENDERSON (Leader of Government Business): Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Written Question Paper.
Mr WOOD: A point of order, Madam Speaker! I do not believe we have had an hour. We had notices.
Madam SPEAKER: It is up to the Leader of Government Business.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016