Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate Hieu Van Le, who in September will be appointed the next Governor of South Australia. Hieu Van Le was in his early 20s when he came to Australia as a boat refugee from Vietnam, in 1977.

He quickly settled into South Australia and embraced South Australian life, completing a Bachelor of Economics and a Master of Business Administration at Adelaide University. From there he went on to work for the Australian Securities and Investment Commission until 2009.

Among his many community and public roles, Hieu has been Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission and Lieutenant Governor of South Australia since 2007, carrying out both roles with dignity and distinction and, in doing so, earning widespread respect and endearing himself to South Australians.

To Hieu, his wife Lan—who shared the boat journey to Australia with him—and their two sons Don and Kim, I extend my good wishes for his new role. I have no doubt they will do all South Australians proud as they have done to date.

I also acknowledge and extend my best wishes to retiring SA governor Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce whom I have worked with over the past seven years and who has been another terrific advocate for South Australia. I particularly appreciate the work he did for the northern suburbs of Adelaide in recent years. To him and his wife Liz I extend my best wishes for their future.

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