The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:54): Today, I rise to speak about STEM and the new STEM Centre at the Hillcrest Primary School. 'STEM' stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, incorporating physics and chemistry.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Minister for Education and the Department for Education for their outstanding work on the STEM Learning strategy. This important strategy will transform public education to enable students at every level of schooling to develop knowledge, skills and understanding in STEM subjects and to apply that learning to shape the world.

It was a great honour to represent the Minister for Education, the Hon. John Gardner, to officially open the new STEM Centre on Wednesday 28 October 2020. Our heartfelt congratulations go to the Hillcrest Primary School on receiving $1 million of state government grants to create the new state-of-the-art, purpose-built STEM learning space. The new STEM labs have cutting-edge technology within an engaging and supportive environment that stimulates the imagination and creative learning of students of all year levels.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:43): Today, I rise to speak about Dementia Action Week, which is held this week, from Monday 21 September until Sunday 27 September. It is an important initiative of Dementia Australia. Dementia describes a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. It is not one specific disease. It affects thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Brain function is affected enough to interfere with a person's normal social and working life.

Close to half a million Australians currently live with dementia and sadly that number is expected to double in the next 25 years. Many Australians will start experiencing the impact of dementia amongst their own family and friends in the coming years.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:51): Today I rise with a heavy heart to convey my deepest condolences to the famil y of Dr Yen-Yung Yap. Dr Yap has sadly passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 43 years old, a great loss to his family and friends, the medical profession and the community he represented and cared for. Dr Yap was a high achiever and his mission has been to provide holistic health care for women and a comprehensive reproductive care plan for couples from fertility to family planning. He was a highly qualified obstetrician and gynaecologist.

Dr Yap has been known as a happy-go-lucky family man who was a kind and loving husband to Mei-Khing Loo and a wonderful father to his three beautiful young children, Joyce, Michelle and Edwin. I have known Dr Yap and his wife Mei-Khing through the Australian Chinese Medical Association and the Malaysia Club of South Australia.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:21): It is 1 July 2020 today, and I believe South Australia is ready to press the reset button for the second half of the year. The first half of 2020 is officially over. We have survived many challenging days in the COVID pandemic and we have much to be thankful for. I take this opportunity to once again express my heartfelt thanks to SA Health, SAPOL, front-line heroes and all South Australians who have played a critical role in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of everyone. We are stronger together as a community.

The high level of cooperation and responsible action, such as staying home whenever possible, good practice of social distancing and making sacrifices over the last few months, have kept SA safe. We have become one of the safest and most enviable places in the world. This has better positioned our state to enjoy the freedom and liberty in opening up our economy, getting back to normality faster and getting SA moving again.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:43): In a world where violence forces thousands of people to flee for their lives, Australia has a long history as a resettlement country for refugees. Today, it is my privilege to acknowledge Refugee Week which is from 14 to 20 June 2020. Refugee Week is Australia's annual program to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. Refugee Week provides the platform where positive images of refugees can be promoted in order to create a culture of welcome throughout the country.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:48): Today marks day number 96 from when the first case of coronavirus landed in Australia. A month ago, new cases of coronavirus were growing at a rate of more than 20 per cent a day. For more than 10 days now, the rate has fallen to less than 1 per cent a day in Australia. It is particularly comforting to know that yesterday,

28 April 2020, South Australia again achieved zero new cases, which is a new record of no new cases for six consecutive days.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:23): Since the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus crisis a global pandemic on 12 March 2020, the world has become a totally unrecognisable place. The coronavirus has spread across the world and is now affecting 209 countries and territories. There are over 1.4 million cases and over 82,000 deaths so far.

Yesterday was a very sad day for our state. Our hearts went out to the family when we learned that coronavirus claimed its first life in South Australia. It is with a very heavy heart that I speak in parliament today about the sad passing of Mr Francesco Ferraro.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:16): It is a great honour to rise today to support the adoption of the Address in Reply given by our Governor, His Excellency the Hon. Hieu Van Le AC, at the opening of the Second Session of the Fifty-Fourth Parliament this year.

His Excellency is a great asset to South Australia. His incredible hard work and dedication, along with Mrs Lan Le, can be witnessed and felt in every corner of South Australia. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Governor and Mrs Lan Le to their outstanding commitment to serving the South Australian community. We are incredibly fortunate to have his Excellency and Mrs Le serving South Australia with their greatest care, highest respect and sincere affection.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:34): I rise today to support this motion wholeheartedly, and I join the Premier, the Treasurer and my parliamentary colleagues in both houses of the South Australian parliament to express our deep condolences on the loss of lives and the devastation experienced by affected communities as a result of the unprecedented ferocity of the bushfires in South Australia this summer.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:21): It is a great honour to rise today in parliament to congratulate Radio Italiana 531AM for its 45 years of outstanding service to our South Australian community.