CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr CALDWELL (Fadden—Opposition Chief Whip) (10:36): Today I rise to honour a very brave little boy whose life continues to inspire us and our community: Ryley Kemp. Last week, Childhood Cancer Awareness Week, I welcomed Ryley's parents, Terry and Beau, and their new daughter, baby Scarlett Ryley, to Parliament House. Many in our community will know Ryley's story.
He was a beautiful, brave boy who lost his battle with DIPG, an aggressive childhood brain cancer for which there is still no cure and for which the treatment prognosis is absolutely terrifying for everyone. Since losing their son, Terry and Beau have worked tirelessly to raise awareness and push for more research and support so that other families may one day face a different outcome.
Their strength is extraordinary, but no family should ever have to go through what they have had to endure, so today I rise to honour Ryley's life and to add my voice to their fight. We remember Ryley the brave and stand beside every family facing the heartbreak of childhood cancer. Under Labor, Australians are paying more and getting less.
The cost of living keeps climbing, housing is slipping further out of reach, small businesses are being squeezed and families are working harder than ever just to keep their heads above water. Over the past few weeks I've been out across our community sharing the message of our plan in Paradise Point, Labrador, Canelands and Pacific Pines. The message is clear; people want change.
Australians know we can do better. Only the coalition has a plan to fix the economy and protect our way of life—a plan for lower taxes, a plan for cheaper power, a plan for less migration and more homes and a plan that puts Australians first. It's a plan that will restore Australia's standard of living, reward hard work and give Australians the confidence that the best days are still ahead of us.
That's the change I'll keep fighting for for my community across the northern Gold Coast. On Saturday, local families came together to celebrate the opening of the new jellyfish playground at our much-loved Paradise Point Parklands. For so many families, this is already one of those special local spots—somewhere to take the kids, catch up with friends and enjoy our beautiful part of the world—and this new playground makes it even better, with more space for kids of different ages and abilities to enjoy.
Big congratulations to Councillor Shelley Curtis for leading this project and to everyone involved, including the community consultation that went on, to bring this upgrade to life. I know that this new playground, in addition to the Paradise Point Parklands that we share on the Broadwater, will be something that local families will enjoy for many years to come.