CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms COMER (Petrie) (16:58): For longer than I can remember, the Henzell Street Quilters have been the very fabric of the Petrie community, creating intricate, colourful and creative quilts. Last Friday I got to pop into their quilt show at the Redcliffe Showgrounds, and I saw some of the most beautiful quilts I've ever seen. I'm going to say it: they're the best in the country.

They showcased dozens of quilts, from outback landscapes and traditional designs to a flat cat quilt, which was my personal favourite. I want to thank the president, Chris, for sharing her story about what inspired her in creating that particular quilt. They also had creative stalls, raffles—plenty of inspiration.

I want to thank Kathleen, the manager, who got the team together and put on this fantastic event. A lot of work goes into creating these wonderful community events, and I just want to shout them out for that. One thing I particularly want to shout out is their community corner, where they make incredible quilts and donate them into the community where needed.

One particular group they donate to, which got me in my heartstrings, was Chameleon Housing. Chameleon Housing provides housing for young people who need it. They might be going into that housing with just the clothes on their back or the belongings in their backpack, and these quilts feel like a hug from Nan.

They get to hold that. I remember the quilt my nan gave me. Every time I get to put it on, I remember her and the great things that she did.

So I just want to thank them for their incredible work. On a heavier note, last week I attended the 18th annual Moreton Bay Says No To Violence march in Redcliffe. I was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with advocates, victim-survivors, police officers and community members who care.

We got to hear from some incredible speakers, such as Holly from the Centre against Domestic Abuse, Kate Crowley-Smith from Broken to Brilliant, Ruby Allen from Kids of Purple, and the students from the Deception Bay Flexible School. Their speeches were absolutely touching. It reminds us that domestic violence is still prevalent in our communities.

Every person who dies is one person too many, but every person who faces death, who lives in fear in their homes, is also one person too many. I got to stand up there and speak about my experience in domestic and family violence and how it is completely unacceptable. I'll always stand up for my community, I'll always call out injustice and violence, and I'll always say no to violence.

It is completely unacceptable. It's great that our government has been able to acknowledge that some of our systems, such as the child support system, have actually been used to facilitate harm. The reforms in that space are so paramount, and I thank the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek, for her work in that space.