Wednesday, 31 July 2024

 Nathan LAMBERT (Preston) (10:24): I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and staff for their support during my recent period of parental leave.

Members interjecting.

Nathan LAMBERT: Thank you. There is never a perfect time for these things, and it was a very busy time for the government in Preston and Reservoir. We of course opened the new Keon Park train station, which is a huge milestone for that neighbourhood, and I would like to thank the Minister for Transport Infrastructure and the member for Thomastown for commemorating that milestone and for their ongoing work on that project.

We also announced a new 40-kilometre-per-hour school zone for Coburg High students along Bell Street. I would like to thank the member for Northcote, the member for Pascoe Vale, the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and local residents Dave Hall, Lanie Stockman, Deborah Wyatt and Jose Villadangos for their work on that project.

We announced a new kinder at Reservoir Views Primary in line with our election commitments, and we announced a new building for St Joseph the Worker Primary School to address the issue where their admin building was very slowly sliding into Edgars Creek. I am pleased that will be addressed and staff and students will get a new building.

I could go on – I think the team were addressing 98 issues while I was away – but I do want to finish by just saying I do think it is important that MPs can take parental leave if we are to have a properly inclusive and representative Parliament, and I look forward to supporting other MPs from all parties, if and when they choose to take parental leave themselves.