Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is the last week the Parliament of Australia will sit before February next year, so I wanted to take this opportunity to honour Australia’s Chinese community and wish them a happy Chinese New Year: gong xi fa cai! Twenty-six January 2009 marks the first day of the lunar month, and it is the first time since 1971 that the Chinese New Year coincides with Australia Day. It is particularly significant for those Chinese-Australians in our community who can celebrate simultaneously the start of their new year and their country’s national day.

Chinese New Year festivities are renowned around the world for their spectacle and celebration of traditional Chinese culture and arts. In fact, I can still hear the firecrackers from this year’s celebrations! I am especially looking forward to being involved in the various events happening in Sunnybank and other suburbs in my electorate, as well as wider Brisbane, to mark the beginning of the Year of the Ox. It is said the ox is a sign of prosperity coming through hard work, so the ox well describes my Chinese community. They have worked hard over many years to gain skills and experience, establish businesses and become involved in our community.

In Moreton, I think of great, hardworking organisations like the Queensland Chinese Forum, the Mainland Chinese Society Queensland, the Chinese Methodist Church in Australia, the Cathay Club, the Taiwan Women’s League of Queensland, the Hong Kong Australia Business Association in Queensland and the Brisbane Chinese Lions Club. These are just a few of the Chinese groups in my electorate who work hard for the broader community.

As it is a sign of prosperity, the ox is hopefully a good omen for these troubled economic times—although I am told that those born in the Year of the Ox tend to get a little nervous about debt, so it might be a tough year for some oxen.

As the Chinese community reflects on 2008, the Year of the Rat, I am sure they will look back with pride. It was a year that saw China welcome the world during the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, and as a result they earned the respect and admiration of many around the world. It was also a year in which China faced great tragedy, with the major earthquake in the Sichuan province in May, just a few months before the Olympics. The earthquake measured eight on the Richter scale, stole more than 69,000 lives, left more than five million homeless and caused more than $20 billion in property damage. In the face of this tragedy, which gripped communities around the world, the efficient response of China’s government helped to save thousands of lives and restore communities as quickly as possible.

I am proud of Australia’s Chinese community and the vast and varied contributions that they make to our society, especially in my electorate of Moreton. I have spoken before in this place about the contribution of Australian-Chinese to Australia’s defence forces, which is why I have committed to establishing a Chinese war memorial in Sunnybank, in my electorate. The memorial will honour the past and present involvement of Chinese-Australians in the Australian defence forces, such as Billy Sing, to name but one. I would like to thank all those who have already put up their hands to be involved in a steering committee to help plan and develop the memorial. I would particularly like to recognise local community leader Lewis Lee for his commitment to the project. Lewis is a hardworking leader in the Chinese community and someone who is determined to build stronger links between the Chinese and other local communities. This is especially important when we have a parliament where we can oh so easily have dog whistles blown in our midst.

The Chinese community is a significant and valued part of the Moreton electorate, and my good friend and next-door neighbour Kevin Rudd, aka Lu Kewen, and I wish each and every member of the Chinese community a safe and prosperous Year of the Ox. Gong xi fa cai!

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