Statement By Members – Diabetes – Speech in the House of Representatives 26/11/2024
Hansard 26/11/2024 House of Representatives
Mr LLEW O’BRIEN (Wide Bay) (13:48): My mate Sydney Ziebell is one of more than 13,000 young people in Australia who live with type 1 diabetes. I first met Sydney in Murgon in 2018. He’s a bright, talented, intelligent young man and a strong and passionate advocate for juvenile diabetes awareness and research.
Over the six years since I met him, Sydney has grown. He uses his unique lived experience to work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to build relationships and advocate for more government investment into type 1 diabetes research, treatment and support programs.
In the time since I first met Sydney, there has been good progress with government funding and strategic programs, like the Morrison government’s 10-year National Diabetes Strategy, but there is still so much to do. That’s why the work of the JDRF is so important. They have been instrumental in raising awareness, supporting research and advocating for new treatments and more government investment. Sydney’s in the House today, in the gallery, and is a part of the JDRF’s Kids in the House program. I’m pleased to continue to support Sydney in his fight to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. Great work, Sydney. Keep up the great effort, mate.
