Tuesday, 7 February 2023

 Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (14:22): I rise to acknowledge the recent closure of the Myer store in Frankston in my electorate and to thank the staff of the store for their dedicated service. Myer Frankston closed in January this year after a little over 50 years of trade. In my time as a union organiser I had the privilege of looking after members in that store for 4½ years. As with any workplace, it is one’s co-workers who make it a rewarding place to work.

The retail industry is fast-moving with high turnover, which makes it notable when someone devotes a large part of their life to a workplace. I would like to take this opportunity to recognise some of those people: with more than 10 years of service, Sharon Hogg, Candice Peterson, Glenys Price and Vicki Thomas; with more than 20 years of service, Wendy Brown, Cheryl Burford-Smith, Anne Holiday, James Khan, Rosemarie Leishman, Judy Mitchell, Alana Mort, Claire O’Connor, Faye Peterson, Ali Priest, Carmen Ryan, Lisa Smith and Lisa Williams; with more than 30 years of service, Clare Campbell, Carol Flower, Hayley Garrett, Deborah Threadgold and Michelle Woods; and with an extremely impressive excess of 40 years of service, Andrea Lynch-Wilde, Lesley Chaplin, Jenny Williams and Ron Wanders.

I recently had the privilege to meet with a number of these individuals, and I wish to extend my congratulations to them all for their service and wish them all the very best for the next chapters of their lives.