Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today in this House I would like to pay my respects to a constituent who, unfortunately, I have never met, but his story resounds closely to my heart. His name is Petr Levkovskiy. Like many Australians today, Pete came to Perth as a migrant, for a better life and opportunity for his family, settling in Bull Creek, like I did when I first came to Perth. He was smart, kind and giving. He read a lot about everything; he was very curious. He was a family person and liked to spend a lot of time with his family, his kids and his friends, playing board games, bushwalking and going on picnics. Pete studied hard. He worked hard to get a good-paying job and raise a loving family here in Australia with his wife, Anna. Pete, like all of us present here today, loved this wonderful thing called life.

On the morning of Sunday May 22, Petr did what every good Samaritan does when a cry for help happens. A desperate kid was crying for help, and he went to help. Sadly, he did not come home that day. One year has passed. It is one year since a terrible and senseless act that has profoundly impacted Anna and her family. Crime is a concern that transcends age, gender, race and religion. We as a community must look out for one another like Pete did. We must continue to care for our neighbour. Everyone deserves to come home safely. I know that, now that we are in government, we can do more to make sure this never happens again.

I am so honoured that Anna, Petr's beloved wife, has allowed me to speak about the man Pete was and will always be remembered to be: a kind man, a good man, a loving husband and a great father. Petr was a great example of honesty and responsibility. He was willing to help people and willing to make every day brighter and better for everyone. Thank you, Pete. You will always be in our hearts.

See this speech in context