A maiden fit for a bobba
NEW Caulfield MP David Southwick gave a maiden speech last Tuesday that any Jewish grandmother would have been proud of.
NEW Caulfield MP David Southwick gave a maiden speech last Tuesday that any Jewish grandmother would have been proud of.
Southwick, a backbencher in the new Baillieu Government, introduced himself and his intentions to his parliamentary colleagues and a public gallery packed with onlookers, from predecessor Helen Shardey to members of the Adass Israel community.
“Being a seventh-generation Australian from a large family and one of the first Jewish families to settle in Australia, my family instilled in me the importance of hard work combined with a passion to give back to the community,” he told the Victorian Parliament.
He spoke proudly of his electorate – an area he referred to as the “bagel belt” – and recognised the Jewish, Russian, Indian and Chinese families in the area.
He also acknowledged a unique design feature, which many of his constituents probably don’t even know about.
“At the corner of Balaclava and Hawthorn roads, near my office, is a grand junction – a piece of public transport infrastructure which allows an approaching tram to turn in any direction desired,” he said of the unique tram tracks, which are the only ones of their kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I consider this engineering feat to be symbolic of the ingenuity, intelligence and creativity of the people of Caulfield,” he continued. “I consider it symbolic of the many directions and opportunities offered to the people of Caulfield through education and hard work.”
Asked how his first few days in Parliament had been, Southwick responded with enthusiasm: “We’re off and running.”
He said he was challenged by the archaic list of parliamentary rules and regulations, but was slowly getting the hang of it thanks to his mentor, Attorney-General Robert Clark.
Since his maiden speech, the former businessman has spoken on a number of topics, including the Jewish National Fund appeal and the City of Glen Eira’s Citizen of the Year, Abe Goldberg.
Asked how he plans to balance his obvious passion for the Jewish community with his other interests, Southwick said the other things can wait. “One hundred per cent I’m there to represent the whole of Caulfield.”
But, he added, Caulfield is 30 per cent Jewish and he is the only Jewish Coalition MP. “That’s why I’ve been on the front foot for the community.”
NAOMI LEVIN
comments