This is my third holiday season in this Chamber, but it is the first time I have had the chance to offer a Christmas greetings. I have to say that 2025 has been another significant year for Liverpool. Construction has begun on our second and third public preschools, at Miller Public School and Cartwright Public School, with two more due to start soon at Cecil Hills and Heckenberg. Moving on to the big kids, for them we have secured upgrades for James Busby High School. Construction on the new Liverpool High School will soon commence, and work at Cecil Hills High School is nearing completion.
Of course our kids and their families deserve the best, be it in education, health or entertainment, so I welcome the $200,000 special entertainment precinct trial now kicking off in Liverpool. It will help set our CBD on the path to becoming a vibrant university city with a large night-time workforce and help fulfil its potential. None of that progress would have happened without a government that was willing to listen. I thank our Premier, our Ministers and their staff members for their openness and readiness to engage with the issues that matter to Liverpool. I particularly send my best wishes to the Deputy Premier. It will be great to have her back in 2026.
I believe that being persistent is a core skill set of this job. Some might say that being called annoying is the highest compliment we can receive. Getting results for our communities often requires effective deployment of the vomit principle: When you are sick of repeating something, others might be starting to listen. I hope that I have been sufficiently annoying for everyone in the Ministers' offices this year. Members are only as successful as the support we have around us. At home in Liverpool, my staff is ably led by my fantastic senior electorate officer [SEO], Christy Nguy. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a good SEO makes our lives so much easier, and I am lucky to have the best. Besides her unwavering work ethic, which included answering emails after surgery, Christy's baked goods are highly sought after by members and others during sitting weeks. Here's hoping for more sweet treats and fewer flat tyres in 2026.
The team also includes our self-described office soundtrack, Liam Thorne, who provides us with daily entertainment whether we ask for it or not, as well as Mel Hadfield, who joined us this year and has taken to Team Livo like a duck to water. I thank them for enthusiastically joining the coffee, Aldi and Sydney Outlet Village runs. I give a special shout-out to the wonderful Hazel Neville. She has taken some time off this year, but I am happy to share that she will be back soon to join us for the holiday season and for a much brighter 2026. The office is not the same without her. I also express my appreciation to all the fantastic relief staff members who step in when we need them: Alaa Ahmad, Kuber Thakur, Nia Hagarty, Tyrone Phornthip, and Jada Kabbout.
Team Livo prides itself on working effectively with government agencies and other local services to ensure that our constituents' needs are met. About 90 per cent of the time, those matters relate to social housing. I thank our local Homes NSW team, led by Genene. Jessica, Maram, Alison, Leanne and Naomi, I know you do not have an easy job, but I respect and appreciate that you all genuinely want to see the best outcomes for tenants in our area. I look forward to working with you all in 2026. That team is a reflection of the approach to our social housing system taken by Minister Rose Jackson and this Government.
As Parliamentary Secretary, I am lucky to have a Minister who sees himself as a mentor. I thank Minister Dib for his support and encouragement. I have been humbled by the many amazing people I have met across our frontline emergency services, those who are the first port of call to access government services, those who seek to enable government to readily evolve with the digital age and those who are responsible for young people that have lost their way. I have developed a better understanding of the work those frontline staff do every single day, and I share that information with pride across the community. I am proud to serve as Parliamentary Secretary. I could not do that without the support of Minister Dib's staff, Zoe, James, Mark, Meagan, Dilan, Dana, Rabia and Caria.
When I was asked to serve as the chair of the parliamentary Labor caucus, I was not sure what I was signing up for. Most days, I do not regret it, and I thank the people who ensure that I can discharge the duties with minimal complaints—Sachin, Omar, Cara, Colleen, Peta and Chiara. Functioning effectively in this place is definitely a team effort. I acknowledge the Government Whip, Deputy Whip and Colleen Symington, who keep this place running. This Parliament would fall into chaos very quickly if not for their work, particularly Colleen, whose expertise and guidance is precious and invaluable to every member of the Government and beyond. Some say her crystal ball allows her to predict the future, but it is actually her superpower that has been honed over many years. They better name something big after you, Colleen.
I thank the many others who make sure we are fed, appear coherent—thank you, Hansard—and can do our jobs effectively, including the Chamber staff, Hansard—thanks for the chuckles and empathy, especially during late night sittings—IT, catering, our wonderful cleaners, the Parliamentary Library and Chanthy, who is the cleaner in my electorate office; she is not allowed to leave. I see them and I appreciate them. I thank my colleagues on all sides of the aisle. We may often disagree, but I have appreciated the camaraderie, conversations and perspectives, especially in this place.
Closer to home, I wish everyone in Liverpool and beyond a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. For the many Christians in my electorate, I know this is a sacred time of year. In that spirit, I acknowledge the fantastic Christian leaders of all traditions in my community. They not only bring people together for occasions like Christmas but have also built strong communities of faith that work every day to support those doing it toughest in our community. At this time of year when we often take family and celebration for granted, those organisations are supporting the vulnerable who may not have access to family and support. I extend my thanks to organisations of other faiths and secular organisations that do similar important work.
Family, friends and those who provide a balance to the days and hours in this place are what life is all about. I have a deep appreciation for my family and friends, who keep me grounded and ensure that I am only slightly unhinged most of the time and who help me consider something different at the end of the day. Over the season, frontline service workers in emergency services, health, police, the Department of Communities and Justice and other services may not have a Christmas break, and I extend my thanks and appreciation to them for putting their family events and activities on hold to support and protect the community. Finally, I thank the people of Liverpool for the trust they continue to place in me. It is the honour of my life to represent the community I call home in this place. I am especially proud to do that as part of a Labor Government that understands the importance of investing in our suburbs and supporting the families who call them home. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to each and every one of you. Unfortunately, I do not have a Santa hat.
