Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to congratulate a great Ipswich business, Apprenticeships Queensland. Twenty years ago, Apprenticeships Queensland was established in the car park at Ipswich City Council. The then and now manager, Dave Handyside, said he knew every apprentice at the time. On 12 September 2008, at Ipswich RSL at North Ipswich, we had an awards night honouring the school based trainees with encouragement and achievement awards, and the first-year to fourth-year apprentices with the same. Dave Handyside and his board of directors and management are to be commended for the thousands of young people who have found jobs, courtesy of their efforts. Some of the biggest employers in Ipswich—the Ipswich City Council, the Queensland Times, CS Energy, the Bremer Institute of TAFE and others—were there.

Dave Handyside had the misfortune of not being born in Ipswich but for 20 years he and his organisation have served the people of Ipswich well. It is fitting that Mayor Paul Pisasale, of Ipswich City Council, gave Dave a crest effectively honouring him as if he were born in Ipswich. In Ipswich we often say that the world is made up of those who were born in Ipswich and those who wish they had been. Dave, congratulations on becoming an Ipswichian after so many years!