Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Often in the House we wear lapel pins in recognition of a cause, campaign or service that is important to us and that helps our communities. Today I am wearing a pin that champions a cause I am particularly passionate about. Friday's National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is one of Australia's important antibullying events and is a chance to take a stand and promote the important work being done to stop bullying and violence in our schools, workplaces, sporting clubs and community groups. The Bully Zero Australia Foundation says that one in five Australians are bullied. Part of the day of action will be making our nation safer for every generation.

Last week I visited Henry Kendall High School, in Gosford. This school is an outstanding example of one of my local schools getting behind this initiative. Principal Andrew Backhouse told me that Henry Kendall educates around 800 students from a range of backgrounds. It has an effective antibullying strategy that involves teachers, students and parents to change the culture for the better.

School Captain Tahmyna Rad and Vice-Captain Abbey Willcox spoke with me and gave fantastic examples of how they work together with the school community to help stamp out any instance of bullying and work together to build a better culture of tolerance, respect and appreciation of others. They said that, as a result, the school feels more like a family than a set of classrooms. Hundreds of schools, including many on the coast, will be participating in the national day of action on Friday. I thank all schools in my electorate of Robertson for their role in taking a stand against bullying and violence.