Ron Hoenig MP presents Windgap Warriors with their football strips

Ron Hoenig MP with the Windgap Warriors in their new jerseys

It was a pleasure to be with George Lundy the President of Pagewood Botany Football Club to present the Windgap Warriors football team with their football jerseys donated by the Pagewood Botany club. 

The football team consists of residents and clients of the Windgap foundation The Windgap foundation provide support for people with intellectual disabilities.

Coach Roy Smyth thanked Pagewood Botany Football Club for also donating all the training equipment.

“It was a wonderful gesture by the club,” Mr Smyth said

The Windgap football team is a great initiative to make sure Windgap’s clients remain fit and participate in regular exercise. 

The Windgap football team have proven that everyone and almost anyone can pick up a ball and play football.

Not only is it fun, but it allows the residents and clients of Windgap get regular exercise and help set a regiment for living healthier lives.

By participating in weekly football training sessions at Jellicoe Park, the players can socialise with each other on the sporting field, promoting values of good sportsmanship and health competition.

What began as an initiative to get the residents and clients at Windgap active, has the ability to become something bigger as Paul Graham Manager of the team looks at getting other disability support providers to offer soccer training sessions with the view of eventually organising a soccer competition for players with intellectual disabilities.

Mr Hoenig thanked the Pagewood Botany Football Club for again helping out Windgap by donating the football jerseys.

Pagewood Botany Football Club has been a strong supporter of Windgap and the work they do for people in the community with an intellectual disability.

The players looked very smart in their red jerseys; this would not have been possible without the help of Pagewood Football Club. Thank you.

Liberal cuts to Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick a huge community concern.

Ron Hoenig MP and Michael Daley MP receiving the petition at the NSW Parliament

This week together with my colleagues, Shadow Treasurer and Maroubra MP, Michael Daley MP and 

Shadow Minister for Health Dr Andrew McDonald MP we were presented with a 10,000 signature petition demanding the Liberals reverse their savage cuts to Prince of Wales Hospital.

The message from extremely concerned doctors, nurses, hospital workers, and patients is loud and clear.

This great hospital that services my electorate is really suffering as staff struggle to maintain the quality health care they provide. The petition will be required to be debated in parliament in the coming weeks.

Opening of Law Term Service at The Great Synagogue, Sydney

Ron Hoenig MP & Justice Stephen Rothman AM

I was delighted to recently join the legal community for the 2014 Law Term Service and Dinner at the Great Synagogue in Sydney.

Keynote speaker, The Honourable James Allsop, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia and The Honourable Tom Bathurst, Chief Justice of New South Wales were joined by other senior members of the judiciary, barristers and solicitors in formally marking the beginning of 2014 sittings.

Such occasions are a helpful and poignant start to the year.

Chief Justice Allsop spoke passionately of the need for civility and reason both within the law and in how community and government interact with it. The Chief Justice reminded the service that civility is at the heart of the law:

“ [whilst] judges should be open to criticism. It should not, however, be too much to ask for that criticism to be reasoned and civil, and not take the form of personal attack.”

Whilst never political, His Honour rightly borrowed the facts of current concerns to express a genuine concern for the judiciary collectively.

Comments directed, often personally at our judicial officers these past months have not only lacked the ‘civility’ and dignity' we should expect but constituted an unprecedented ill-informed attack on the judicial arm of government.

It is with regret that  this would be his last Law Term Service with Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence as Senior Rabbi at The Great Synagogue.

I want to offer my congratulations to Rabbi Laurence upon his appointment at Senior Rabbi at London’s Finchley (Kinloss) Synagogue. Rabbi Lawrence's warmth will be missed – not only at the Great Synagogue, but across the wider community. I wish him every success across the seas.

Kingsford Mobile Office

Residents talking to their local member Ron Hoenig MP at Fitzpatrick Park, Kingsford

Thank you to the Kingsford and Kensington residents who came to along to my mobile office at Fitzpatrick Park on the corner of Eastern Avenue and Day Avenue, to talk about the issues that effect our community.

Light Rail on Anzac Parade, Urban Activation, Container Deposit legislation, the parking nightmare and traffic in the area were some of the many issues raised by by residents. 

The issue that residents were most angry about was the O'Farrell governments Urban Activation Precincts that propose buildings up to 20 stories in Kingsford and Kensington. Residents know that roads, school, public transport and Prince of Wales Hospitals are at capacity now.

Redfern - Waterloo Public Housing tenants living in squalor and fear

The conditions that my constituents living in public housing in Redfern and Waterloo is scandalous. This is the second time in as many months that A Current Affair's TV Cameras have exposed the squalor and fear that my constituents have to face through continued inaction by the NSW government.

Most of my constituents are over 50 and as ACA points out many are living in public housing through no fault of their own.

I am very grateful Channel 9 and A Current Affair who have again shined a light on the "forgotten people".

There is often criticism by the commentariat of programs like ACA. I can personally vouch for the accuracy of the story and can assure you it is a balanced report. Don't take my word for it. Watch the report and make your own assessment. You will no doubt ask yourself how in modern Australia can any government allow this disgrace to continue. http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/8799683/seniors-living-in-public-housing-prison

Jewish Changemaker Awards

Cr Tony Kay, Cr Leon Goltsman, Cr Jeff Zulman, Isabelle Shapiro, Ron Hoenig MP, Bruce Notley-Smith MP

It was a real honour to represent Opposition Leader John Robertson at the Jewish Changemakers Awards Ceremony in Bondi this afternoon.  

B'nai B'rith, Hilel and JNF Australia have partnered to recognise young Jewish men and women who give so much of themselves to many worthy causes, not just in Australia, but around the world.  Each recipient has made a difference to the lives of so many others .

As Rachel Fitman the Hillel Director  pointed out; "The threads of passion, creativity and innovation woven throughout the stories of our nominees, captures the essence of the spirit that drives our community. Our nominees have each dared to depart from the status quo, to create ripples of change and serve as ambassadors for the change they wish to see in the world."

Standing in the room with these amazing young men and women and hearing their stories and learning about the impact they have had on individuals and communities was a real honour.  That so many young people are willing to lend a hand to make a difference gives all in the community faith in the future and in our younger generation.  

Just to give you an idea of the type of achievement and work being done by the younger generation, one guest speaker Genna Radnan, only 22 years of age, on leaving the Emmanuel School went to live in a rural community in Kenya to work as a volunteer. Genna was so moved by the level of poverty she utilised all her skills to implement and assist in enhancing the quality of life for the local people by developing projects that targeted health and education. Establishing Gennarosity Abroad she continues to raise funds for projects located in rural communities along the Rift Valley region of Kenya

So many nominees from around Australia. So much achievement, it was a honour to be amongst some of the most wonderful young people. 

Celebrating our Diversity during International Mother Language Day

 Ron Hoenig MP with some of the guests and performers at the International Mother Language Day celebration

I joined the team at South East Neighbourhood Centre, Eastlakes, to celebrate UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day at BKK Shopping Centre.

International Mother Language Day commemorates the shooting of student protestors on  21 February 1952, fighting for the recognition of their native Bengali language.

Today was a celebration of our community’s rich cultural diversity. Gaston recited a Spanish poem from the Chilean Nobel Laureate, Pablo Neruda. Mimi taught us some words in her native Bahasa, the language of Indonesia. Shuvra sang a special song about language in Bengali. Whilst the ladies from South Sydney Community Aid entertained the crowds by singing a song and performing a traditional Chinese dance.

Thank you to South East Neighbourhood Centre for showcasing the wealth that comes from embracing our cultural diversity.