MOUNT VIC AND ME IN PARLIAMENT

I'm very proud that a sample of the wonderfully creative Mount Vic and Me designer, Kara Cooper, is for sale in the Parliament Shop for the month of March. Her quirky range of Blue Mountains socks includes Gough Whitlam urging 'Time to pull up your socks' and features many other political faces, and also local birds and plants and a true-blue Aussie cattle dog hanging out in the backyard. Mount Vic and Me is a legend at the top of the Blue Mountains and online, with her tea towels and mugs featuring prominent political figures.

Kara is taking part in the Parliament Shop National Showcase, which is the new program to help promote Australian made products from across the country in our own Parliament House shop. It's a collaboration with parliamentarians, and, like so many others, I've shared the invitation to take part with small businesses in my electorate. I'm delighted that her work will be shared by the scores of people who finish a visit to the parliament via the shop, and I'll be urging all my parliamentary colleagues to go and check out the New South Wales showcase for themselves. I look forward to other Macquarie creatives being part of this program when New South Wales is showcased next in September.