Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that Sri Lanka is undergoing a significant economic crisis and unrest;

(2) acknowledges the anxiety and mental distress that the Sri Lankan Australian community is experiencing as a result of these events; and

(3) reaffirms the strong bond of friendship between Sri Lanka and Australia.

Australia and Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations this year, and we share a longstanding history of bilateral relations and extensive links underpinned by our amazing 170,000-strong Sri Lanka diaspora community here in Australia. Sadly, Sri Lanka is facing a multidimensional crisis compounded by shortages of food and essential medicines, threatened livelihoods, high inflation, rising commodity prices, power shortages and a lack of fuel. The economic crisis is the worst since the country's independence. The recent economic and political crisis in Sri Lanka has affected not only the great people of Sri Lanka but also the Sri Lankan Australians whose families and loved ones have been caught up in this crisis. The scarcity of fuel and food, as I've said, is having a devastating emotional impact on our local Australian-Sri Lankan community. I have a large Sri Lankan-Australian community in my electorate of La Trobe and I've heard their stories of hardship, anxiety and mental distress due to the state of their families, friends and fellow Sri Lankans as a result of this terrible crisis in their beloved country. I understand their pain for their loved ones back home, as I hear about it every day.

I had the great honour to attend the 'Dance for a Cause' Save a Dream fundraiser dinner dance on Friday 19 August at the Claydon community centre, at the invitation of Dr Lionel Bopage, President, and Ms Sithy Marikar, Vice-President, of the Australian Sri Lankan Association Incorporated. I acknowledge the member for Bruce, Julian Hill, who was also there. I thank him very much for his support and for his support of this motion. The Save a Dream team is a collective of community organisations and individuals in Australia formed in the wake of the current dire socioeconomic crisis in Sri Lanka. The funds raised go towards helping save the lives of newborns—it is just so sad to hear 'newborns'—who require medical attention by assisting in the purchase of much-needed medicines and medical equipment for hospitals in Sri Lanka.

Last Saturday, at the invitation of Naween Pandithasekara and Damitha De Mel from Black & Gold Victoria, I took part in the launching ceremony of a fundraiser cycling campaign for Sri Lanka. Black & Gold Victoria Incorporated has initiated a campaign to raise funds to procure much-needed medicine, equipment and medical apparatus for the Apeksha cancer hospital in Sri Lanka. Again, it's very sad to hear that it's a children's hospital needs this equipment. The appeal, named Ride for Apeksha, is a challenge for all supporters to ride up to 976 kilometres—that's the number of beds in this hospital—in 40 days, from 1 September to 10 October, to raise funds. This initiative is supported by Rotary Australia, and funds are collected under the auspices of the Rotary Australia Overseas Aid Fund. It is doing a great job there.

Can I say, on a personal note, I went to an event organised by Wings of Hope, again supporting Sri Lankan children. My wife and I decided we should do our little bit by sponsoring the education of a young girl in Sri Lanka. I congratulate Wings of Hope, because it's the little things, and if more people made the effort to provide just a bit of funding each month, they could actually change a young person's life.

The current economic crisis in Sri Lanka is propelling into a humanitarian crisis. My heart goes out, again, to the Sri Lankan community at this terrible time. I can assure the Sri Lankan community of the unwavering support of coalition members but also government members. The great thing is that the previous Liberal government and the new Labor government have given bipartisan support to providing humanitarian assistance, including health equipment, to our great friends in Sri Lanka.

I ask the House to acknowledge the anxiety and distress that the Sri Lankan-Australian community is experiencing due to this crisis. I mention again the huge bond of friendship between our two nations. I thank the Sri Lankan community for always being so warm and gracious. I've been to many events in the Buddhist Vihara temple in Berwick, and I've been to so many Buddhist temples, and the Sri Lankan people are so compassionate. They've done so well helping others in Australia, and now they're raising money to help Sri Lankans back home. Again, it's just so sad to hear the newborns and children are in the front line of this disaster.

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