Tuesday, 21 June 2022

 Dr BACH (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:39): I want to use my time today to congratulate some extraordinary people who live in the community that I represent and where I also live who have recently been awarded members of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday honours.

I want to congratulate Professor Suresh Bhargava of Viewbank for his significant service to tertiary education and to Australia-India relations. Dr Bhargava has had a long and industrious career in academia and science, and I am sure that his AM will sit very nicely alongside his already existing collection of accolades.

I also want to congratulate Mr Leighton Boyd of Greensborough for his significant service to people who are blind or have low vision. Mr Boyd has served as both the chairman of Retina Australia and the vice-president of Retina International and has advised the Shire of Nillumbik on disability inclusion for many years. Congratulations to Mr Boyd.

Lastly I want to congratulate Dr Meron Pitcher of Viewbank for her significant service to medicine and to women’s health. Dr Pitcher is one of the many selfless and incredibly hardworking medical professionals who have made such an enormous contribution to our state over many years but in particular over the last couple of years, which have been so challenging. She has served many important organisations, like the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

These are just some of the extraordinary people in my electorate who have recently received honours, and I want to congratulate them and those others who have been recognised.