Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Pakenham electorate seniors morning tea

Emma VULIN (Pakenham) (12:57): There have been many worthy and terrific occasions to celebrate across the Pakenham electorate this past month, but today I want to talk about the seniors morning tea that I co-hosted with Minister Shing last Friday. It was a wonderful turnout, with over 130 local seniors joining us to actively participate in some Q and A and chat with representatives from Services Australia, the Department of Health and Aged Care, Cardinia Shire Council’s ageing well team and our mayor Jack Kowarzik. Importantly, it was also an opportunity for people to catch up with friends, meet new people and share common ideas and concerns. I want to sincerely thank everyone for making this such a productive and friendly event.

The key takeaway for me has been that more people now have a better understanding of how to approach the different levels of government for support. It is so important to not just give people a voice but a platform for them to express that. The event strengthened relationships between government agencies, representatives and our community leaders, and you can never underestimate the power of a cuppa and a piece of cake. I want to thank everyone who took the time to attend the seniors morning tea and for being so open with our participation.