Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last Wednesday was Harmony Day, where multiculturalism is celebrated all around the world. There is no greater place to celebrate Harmony Day than in our great country, Australia, the most successful multicultural nation in the world, or indeed in my electorate of Chisholm, where every day over 130 languages other than English are spoken and well over 50 per cent of people have both parents born overseas. There are many events across Chisholm in our communities, in our schools and in our local organisations, where celebrations of our multiculturalism and diversity are being held over the coming weeks and indeed have been held in the past weeks, including the wonderful Harmony Day event I attended last Friday evening at the Waverley Community Learning Centre.

It was a delight to join so many members of the Chisholm community for a night which was a wonderful reflection of our warm and diverse community in Chisholm, with a fantastic program of events including Turkish coffee tasting, Chinese lion dancing, Indian henna painting, Korean drumming and of course the great Aussie barbecue. I would particularly like to thank Jan Dempsey, the president of the Waverley Community Learning Centre's committee, and her team, the centre's staff and the many wonderful volunteers, including Liz and Mark at the door, for an outstanding event. Being Australian, celebrating Australian values and enjoying our wonderful multicultural diversity are a true joy for us all.

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