Tuesday, 11 August 2026

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (00:00): (2671) My matter this evening is for the Minister for Education in the other place. I would like to read, if I may – and I will provide this to Hansard, because I have a letter here – a speech, in fact. It is from two students from Mullum Primary School, a primary school we are incredibly proud of. It is particularly from Ernie. Ernie is from grade 4, and he writes on behalf of not just himself but also Mika. Mika is in grade 2. I think the letter speaks for itself and also addresses the question that we would ask the Minister for Education. It says:

Thank you Speaker

This speech was written by two kids from Mullum Primary School, named Mika (Grade 2) and Ernie (Grade 4). These two boy want an accessible playground for their school, but they also believe that all schools should have an accessible playground for kids who need it.

So, Mullum Primary School needs a playground so that Mika, and other students, can play together. Much of our other playgrounds cannot be accessed by Mika in his wheelchair because he has to go through the basketball courts and Mika is worried about getting hit with the balls. Even when Mika gets to the other side of the courts some of the equipment is not accessible.

It would seem that all schools should have an accessible playground, when the child is at school. We are worried that Mika will have left school by the time we get a playground that he can play in. We are sure that other schools would need an accessible playground to play on too.

That is the speech, as I said, written by both Mika, grade 2, and Ernie, grade 4. I had the great privilege of having Ernie and his mother in the Parliament a number of weeks ago, and it was a great delight for me to see Ernie’s enthusiasm for this place. I can only hope that the likes of Ernie and very many other children can aspire to be members of Parliament. It is one of the great privileges of being in this place, the opportunity we have to interact with children of all ages but also, hopefully, along that journey to inspire others to take our positions in the future and – I can only hope – to do somewhat better than I have done in this place in the time I have had. It is a great credit to the principal of Mullum Primary School that these students have taken it upon themselves to write such a beautiful speech and that I can tonight present that to the Minister for Education and ask for that action to give consideration for that accessible playground equipment at Mullum Primary School. It is not the first time a primary school and primary school children have raised with me the issue, including their parents, of an absence of accessible play equipment for those who are particularly in wheelchairs right across the state. It is critical for those children to have that inclusive opportunity, and I commend their speech to the minister.