Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's Harmony Week, and my electorate is the perfect example of multiculturalism, where our strength is found in a rich tapestry of cultures, religions and languages. I'm lucky to meet so many amazing people from different backgrounds who are committed to making our area a better place, people like Patricia Abrahams, CEO of Eurella, and Paula Nicolas from St Merkorious Charity. Of Lebanese background, they have chosen to serve the most vulnerable. Strathfield resident Abla Kadous was awarded New South Wales Senior Australian of the Year for her work for the Islamic Women's Welfare Association. Penny Kioussis and Christina Efthymiades are of Greek heritage and provide community assistance through their work with St Nectarios parish. Anna Wang and Dr David Tang have two things in common: their families fled Vietnam and they own thriving small businesses. Anna is Australia's most renowned wedding planner, and Dr Tang is the local GP in Homebush West. Alice Kang came to Australia as a nursing student and has dedicated her life to supporting our veterans. Dinesh and Usha Garg from the Strathfield Australians of Indian Sub-Continental Heritage, the many representatives of the Hindu Council of Australia, Aruna Chandrala and Sris Ponniahpillai, are all extraordinary advocates for the subcontinent communities. Shan Gao and Michelle Zhang set up the Rhodes Multicultural Community Association. The team at Asian Women at Work have spent 30 years providing help to migrant women in low-paid employment. Under the leadership of Gabriel Kang and James Choi, the Australian Korean Association of Sydney has played a pivotal role in supporting Korean-Australians. Jo Di Giacomo and Marie Piccin are of Italian heritage and have turned their success in business into service for the community: Joe by establishing Ferragosto, Sydney's biggest Italian festival, and Marie through her work with A Bloody Great Cause, a cancer charity.

After the events in Victoria last week, where we saw people displaying Nazi salutes and symbols of hate, it's important to remember we all have a role to play to make everyone feel welcomed here. I'm grateful to the big-hearted locals who work so hard to embrace inclusion and to make our culture the lovely place it is—people like Lance Brooks, who set up Communities for Communities; Justine Perkins, founder of Touched by Olivia; and Vicki Liubinskas, founder of Let's Get Going. They all believe that everyone, regardless of ability, should have fun and adventure in their lives. These are just some of the wonderful people in my electorate who I have had the opportunity to meet. They come from different backgrounds and cultures and may have different religious beliefs, but they are all Australian and bound by the desire to give back to our community.

See this speech in context