It is with great sadness that I pay tribute to the life of my mate, Brien Holden, an internationally acclaimed researcher and head of the Brien Holden Vision Institute at the University of New South Wales.

Brien was a tireless advocate for the vision impaired and, in particular, those in developing nations. He has been described as the most influential optometrist of our time.

Pensioners are some of the most financially vulnerable members of our community. Although many have a high-value asset, their family home, they tend to be income poor. Most will get by on between $24,000 and $28,000 a year, so they are by no means well off.

In March 2014, I was informed that the local Medicare office in our community, in Eastgardens shopping centre, would no longer open on a Saturday.

Thank you to the Monash Sustainability Institute for the opportunity to speak at this very important workshop. I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay my respects to elders past and present.

There is no more important role of government than providing young Australians with access to a decent education. Education is the great enabler. It is the springboard to a decent job and security in life. It ensures Australians have higher living standards and our economy is more productive.

I, as do my Labor colleagues, speak in support of the Succession to the Crown Bill 2015. This bill will ameliorate some of the worst elements of the rules of succession to the British royal crown, including providing that men will no longer take priority over women in the line of succession—priority will simply be determined by the order of birth.

When Mary Aikenhead established the Sisters of Charity, she proclaimed that the poor should have for love what the rich have for money. A not-for-profit organisation, the Sisters of Charity have been serving the people of Australia since 1838, with a particular emphasis on helping the poor and disadvantaged.

On behalf of the people of Kingsford Smith I offer sincerest condolences to the families of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, who tragically passed away in the Lindt cafe siege on 15 December 2014.

Last year I was fortunate to visit Laos as a guest of Gavi, the global Vaccine Alliance. In a rural village on the outskirts of Vientiane, I was fortunate to witness Australian aid dollars in action at the local clinic.

I pay tribute to the volunteers of the Randwick Botany State Emergency Service whose awards night I was privileged to attend last Friday.