On behalf of Liberal members, it is with a great deal of
pride that I rise to support the motion. Paralympic swimmer Matthew Cowdrey has
been an outstanding athlete and, on his retirement, we would like to note that,
in fact, he won 11 gold medals across three Paralympic Games (those being in
2004, 2008 and 2012) making him Australia's most successful Paralympian.
Throughout his incredibly successful career, we concur that
he has become an outstanding ambassador for the Paralympic movement of
Australia and, in fact, probably worldwide. I have not had the pleasure of
meeting Matthew Cowdrey myself but I am reliably informed by a number of
Liberal members of parliament that they have had that privilege. They tell me
he is an incredibly humble but talented young man and he has the capacity, we
believe, to succeed at anything he turns his mind to.
With those few words, it is with a great deal of pride that
I, on behalf of the Liberal Party, support the motion of the Hon. K.L. Vincent
and congratulate her for bringing this motion to the parliament.