CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms ALDRED (Monash—Opposition Whip) (16:28): I'd like to associate myself with the remarks made by the member for Werriwa on the need to strengthen and support civics education in our schools. In just 10 days time, we will have the MotoGP on Phillip Island for the final time because, to the great disappointment of our state, the Victorian state Labor government have lost the MotoGP to South Australia.

But in 10 days time we want to put on a really good show for everyone travelling to wonderful Phillip Island—and yet our local roads are in disrepair. We will be hosting motorbike riders from all over the state and, indeed, all over Australia. There are many motorcycle clubs that come from South Australia and other places for our great event.

That is why the Liberal candidate for Bass, Rochelle Halstead, and I are jointly calling on the Victorian state government to send emergency road crews down, right now, to fix those roads. They are unsafe. Unfortunately, we have had a number of accidents.

Tragically, we've had a motorcyclist die recently because of a pothole in Victoria. That is not good enough. We deserve better.

Rochelle Halstead and I are calling on the state Labor government to get its act together and fix the roads. It's a privilege to rise on behalf of a very important issue to my local community on behalf of constituents like Jason, a tradie who owns his own business in Drouin; like Craig from Lardner Park and their great team, who in fact have their next Baw Baw Big Blokes Barbecue to raise funds for prostate cancer in a couple of days time; and like the Hon.

Jim Lloyd, a former minister in this place, who've shared their concerns with me about the funding withdrawal for prostate cancer nurses from next year. The coalition shares the concern of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and the broader prostate cancer community in what appears to be a rushed and ill considered decision to cut funding from this vital program.

I want to commend the big blokes barbecue volunteers who have their event on in Lardner Park shortly. This group has raised $2.2 million in 12 years for prostate cancer support and men's health while supporting prostate cancer awareness to the more-than-700 blokes in attendance. It is a great program.

It's a great initiative. Across Australia, more than 130 Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia specialist nurses work across 100 sites, delivering more than 150,000 consultations every year. This support is absolutely vital to the men that they support and their families.

I want to commend that work to this House and call on a reversal of the funding outcome for this great initiative.