Tuesday, 5 May 2026

 Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (12:47): (1627) My constituency question is for the Minister for Small and Family Business. What initiatives are available to assist and support small and family businesses across my Pascoe Vale electorate? On 22 March I had the honour of attending the 70th birthday – buon compleanno – of the magnificent Arena family’s O’Heas Bakery & Deli. The Arena family are the definition of what the very best of small and family business is all about. The Arena family migrated from Italia’s Catanzaro province in Calabria, from the paese di Sant’Angelo. Their family’s O’Heas Bakery started from very humble beginnings, first established in 1956 while raising seven children at the back of the shop: Dominic, Carmel, Rose, Nick, Jim, Joe and Tony. And their nonno, zios, extended family and parents – the late Bruno and Giuseppina, who namely oversaw the bakery for many years – worked hard to bake the freshest of bread for the community while building a future legacy for their children and their grandchildren. Since then they have continued to serve the very best and have become an institution in handmaking cannoli, ciabatta, caffè and so much more. I was truly humbled as the state member to celebrate U Furnu, which is colloquially known in our community as the oven of the community. It does definitely take a village to raise a family, but it takes a bakery to raise a village.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, I have a number of outstanding questions overdue and unanswered, some dating back 11 months. They are questions on notice to the Treasurer 2421, 3237, 3238, 3239, 3240, 3241, 3242 and 3256. Questions on notice overdue by the Minister for Skills and TAFE are questions on notice 3140, 3141 and 3142. Questions on notice overdue by the Minister for Finance are 3243 and 3245. The constituency question overdue by the Minister for Public and Active Transport is 1512. And questions overdue by the Minister for Education are questions on notice 3210 and 3211. I would appreciate responses for my constituents, and I will pass these to the clerks.