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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-06-06 Daily Xml
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JOHN LEGOE AWARD

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:48): In this chamber we all know that the Hon. Gail Gago, the leader of the house, spends a lot of time out in communities looking after her responsibilities in various ministries.

The PRESIDENT: Is the Hon. Mr Wortley seeking leave?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: I seek leave to ask the Minister for the Status of Women and the Minister for State/Local Government Relations a question regarding awards.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: The right faction supporting the left faction.

The PRESIDENT: And you'll be left right out. Is leave granted?

Leave granted.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley: you have a brief explanation?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: In this chamber we all know of the great work that the Hon. Gail Gago does in the regions and throughout communities in her capacity as minister of various portfolios. As I said yesterday, the Hon. Ms Gago is a tireless, fearless and uncompromising advocate for people in the regions.

During her travels the minister, who is also the Minister for the Status of Women, comes across many great women who spend a lot of time giving to the community and expecting nothing in return. These people are the salt of the earth. There have been various events held recently where these women have been recognised. My question is: can the minister advise us on the awards and the women who won them?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (14:49): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his enlightened views. In my role as Minister for the Status of Women I have certainly been privileged to meet a significant diversity of women from all over South Australia who are exceptional people and exceptional role models to our community. Many are the quiet achievers that are very rarely heard of or spoken about and often their achievements go under-recognised and unacknowledged. Many of these people are leaders in their professions and advocates for their communities.

I believe it is important that their work is publicly acknowledged and that these women's achievements are acknowledged as well. I am pleased to be advised that the recent Local Government Association Showcase Awards Dinner recognised two women with the John Legoe Award.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: John Legoe, former LGA president, member of the Liberal Party, bloody good bloke; and his wife, Gayle, a lovely lady.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: No wonder I can't pronounce his name.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I want to hear this. I do not want to hear you, Hon. Mr Ridgway.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Ridgway, just be quiet.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: They are named in memory of the former LGA president, and he was also mayor of Kingston. John Legoe died in 2005 shortly after completing his term as president. I understand that John was a passionate supporter of, and gave encouragement to, people (particularly younger people), I believe, nominating and participating in local government.

The awards recognise elected members who have demonstrated commitment to personal development, community service and involvement in promoting their local council or community. The spirit and intent of the awards are to recognise personal development and achievement. I am advised that the winner this year of the John Legoe Award for excellence was the Mayor of Kangaroo Island, Jayne Bates.

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: Good mayor.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: She is an excellent mayor. I agree with the honourable member's interjection indicating that she is an excellent mayor. Mayor Bates was recognised for her work with local government and her dedication to the Kangaroo Island community. Also recognised was Erika Vickery, Mayor of Naracoorte Lucindale Council, who received the John Legoe Encouragement Award.

The Local Government Managers Australia (SA Division) 2013 Leadership Excellence Awards were also announced recently. This year's Excellence in Advancing the Status of Women Award, an award supported by the Office for Women and the Office for State/Local Government Relations, was presented to the CEO of Wakefield Regional Council, Cate Atkinson. I understand that Cate has worked hard to establish a successful women's network as part of the LGMA.

The Year of Women in Local Government was the catalyst in establishing the network. As part of celebrating women's roles in local government, Cate implemented the first state women's conference in 2008, and I am told that this event has grown each year and is now a major training and development event on the local government calendar. Parallel to the annual conference, she has fostered a comprehensive training and development program to assist women across organisations, no matter what their role or skill level.

Training sessions are now undertaken each year around the metropolitan area to ensure women can access training more locally, and this will be extended to country regions in the coming year. I am advised that over 500 women have benefited from the programs developed through the women's network over the last five years, with many now more confident and determined in their career paths. It is not just in local government that the participation of women is being encouraged; I would also like to mention the excellent work being done by the inaugural winners of the 2013 Premier's Awards for Excellence—leadership in women in resources. This new award was presented to Beach Energy and OZ Minerals for encouraging women to pursue a career in resources, through tailored approaches to the attraction and retention of women.

I also take this opportunity to remind the chamber that nominations for the biennial Women's Honour Roll are currently open but will be closing this Friday, 7 June; so you have until tomorrow. I invite you all to nominate a woman who has provided a positive contribution to the community, whether it is a paid or volunteer role within your area of engagement or constituency.

Even though these awards differ in their acknowledgements and the fields in which they are based, they are all based on a common principle, and that is that, through acknowledging women's achievements, we not only support women to continue to develop their capacity as leaders but hopefully inspire the women who will follow them to continue to pursue their aspirations and become leaders of the next generation.

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