Sada-e-Watan
Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
PREMIER KRISTINA KENEALLY MESSAGE FOR MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
Thursday 23 December, 2010
Christmas holidays are a great time to spend with friends and family. It’s a time for a break – a time to relax and reconnect with those who mean most to us – and an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve achieved in the year. This year has been a great one for NSW.
Our State’s economy is growing, unemployment is low, our communities are safer than ever and the academic results of our children continue to lead the nation in education.
We are investing record funds into new infrastructure like the South West Rail Link and the Hunter Expressway. And we are delivering new beds for hospitals and upgrades for schools throughout our State.
My personal highlight was announcing a $2 billion boost to disability services –creating the greatest investment in disability services by any Government in Australia’s history.
This is an achievement we can all be proud of. Many of us know or care for someone with a disability; and all of us want NSW to be a place where everyone gets a fair go.
Of course, the good times and leisure we enjoy at Christmas are made possible by all those who continue to work during the holiday period.
So I would like thank the thousands of emergency services, police, public transport, medical and other workers who will give up some of their holidays so the rest of us can enjoy the break in safety and security.
I would also like to acknowledge the many workers who will be on hand over Christmas and New Year to make Christmas a better time for those in the community who are vulnerable or alone.
I also would like to pay a special tribute to the families on the land who have worked harder than usual to put the food on Christmas tables – having endured record droughts, and now, the worst floods in recent history.
Christmas is a time that many people travel to see their loved ones. So I urge everyone who is on the roads over the break to drive safely.
Finally, I urge families to extend the hand of friendship to an elderly person during the Christmas period. Simply popping in and checking on them can make all the difference.
As we look forward to 2011 there’s so much to enjoy about life in NSW, so I wish all our families and communities a happy holiday, and all the very best for the coming year.
The Hon. Kristina Keneally MP
Premier of New South Wales
