Canberra Delegation and AgriFutures Dinner

I recently travelled to Canberra to attend a National Rural Women’s Coalition and Network Board Meeting and join their delegation to Parliament, the Transport Women Australia Limited membership of the NRWC is especially important to us and being able to participate in these meetings is incredibly rewarding. Throughout the morning, we met with Sen. Susan McDonald, Senator for Queensland, Shadow Minister for Resources and Shadow Minister for Northern Australia; Ged Kearney MP, Federal Member of Parliament for Cooper, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care; Sen. Katy Gallagher, Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service; Michael Sukkar MP, Federal Member for Deakin, Shadow Minister for Social Services, Shadow Minister for the NDIS, Shadow Minister for Housing, and Shadow Minister for Homelessness.

After deciding we did not have time for lunch, we visited Question Time, firstly in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate. It was an interesting first time for me.

On the third day, we met with the Office for Women at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, on both days we were accompanied and looked after by the wonderful Bethany Jory from the Office for Women, such an amazing person.

We then met with the National Women’s Safety Alliance followed later in the day with an afternoon tea with representatives of four of the five other National Women’s Alliances.

We finished off the trip with a farewell dinner for our departing Vice President and Independent Director, Jo Stewart-Rattray who will be leaving the Board at the the 2024 AGM.

The following week, I was again in Canberra for meetings with the Australian Trucking Association and to attend the Women in AgriFutures Awards Dinner at Parliament, and what amazing women we have throughout Australia doing incredible work. The stories of the State and Territory Finalists just blow you away and the projects of the Runner Up, Grace Larson and Winner, Tanya Egerton were incredible, such astounding young women doing fabulous work in our rural and remote communities.