Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting the Australia-Korea Next-Generation Political Leaders Exchange right here in Parliament House. This program was established by the voices of Korean-Australian business chamber to support and encourage young Korean Australians with an interest in politics to be involved in our political system. We were lucky to be joined by some distinguished members of this place, including the chair of the Korean-Australian friendship group, the Chief Government Whip, along with the members for Bean, Parramatta and Reid.

Attendees ranged from 17 to 25 years of age and the purpose of their trip to Canberra was to understand how our political system worked and ask MPs and staff about our journey into this place, to demystify it a little bit. An item of keen discussion was ways in which the parliament could increase its cultural diversity. Cultural diversity has the potential to bring a more wholesome perspective of this place to the communities we represent.

Both my parents were born overseas—in Mauritius and Reunion Island—and I'm the first member for Bennelong to have a non-Anglo-Saxon name. As a son of migrants and a first generation Australian, I firmly believe that the future of federal, state and local governments should be as diverse as the communities that we represent. I'd like to thank these young Korean Australians for showing an interest in politics and also for coming to Canberra and engaging with this discussion that we had. I look forward to working with them as their political journey continues.

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