Thursday, 20 September 2018

 Ms HALFPENNY (Thomastown) (09:53): On 12 September I attended the celebration of the launch of the new guidelines, policy and development of training tools for schools to support students with type I diabetes. This was initiated by a number of parents who have children with type I diabetes who had difficulties while at school. Many parents have been raising these problems for many years and originally met with then Department of Education representatives during the Liberal-National coalition’s time in state government. They got nowhere.

I am so proud of these parents, who have never given up in their efforts to change the system. A number of the children are now at university or have left school and are working full-time. However, these parents have continued to fight to ensure things are better for children in future, and now I believe they most definitely will be. I want to thank Julie Merritt, Kerrie Treveitt, Kerry Allen, Lisa Oro, Shannon MacPherson and Andrea Smith for their perseverance, determination and invaluable suggestions and comments to formulate and achieve the new Diabetes in Schools guidelines and policy. Their hard work and effort will now ensure students with diabetes have equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of school life, whether it is school camps, school excursions or sport. The Labor Minister for Education has made this happen together with great support from Libby Buckingham in his office.

The finalisation of this policy and these guidelines does not mean we can do nothing; we have got to continue to —

The SPEAKER: The member for Gippsland South.