Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I would like to talk about the celebration of National Refugee Week across our nation. As it passes this year, we should reflect on the contribution of the nearly one million refugees Australia has resettled since World War II.

As the federal member for Holt I am proud to represent one of the largest refugee communities in this country. Each family has a unique story, yet all share a common thread of courage, determination and the quest for a better life. Much like my family's choice to leave Sri Lanka during the midst of a civil war, these refugees have moved to escape conflict and build a new life in safety and security.

During this week, I had the privilege of attending the Voices of Community Gala, held by South East Community Links. Thank you to the CEO, Peter MacNamara, for inviting me. This event spotlighted the remarkable work of our local community organisations in supporting the settlement of newly arrived communities. This includes South East Community Links itself, which supports refugees in my electorate. The efforts between government and community organisations were evident, demonstrating our commitment to fostering understanding and support across south-east Melbourne. Over 120 stakeholders attended, including community leaders, council members and MPs, highlighting the impact of these initiatives.

Another organisation that has been doing fantastic work in the community is the Peninsula Community Legal Centre. Peninsula Legal has been working to support those on temporary visas who are experiencing domestic violence. Often the victim's visa status and right to stay in Australia is dependent on their abusive partner, which traps them in a relationship as they're at risk of deportation. Peninsula legal provides these victims with free legal support and helps them to escape abusive relationships without risking their visa status. Recently I attended the launch of their new online tool. The tool aims to help workers with information about the family violence provisions in the migration framework and how victims can safely leave relationships and get migration assistance for their visa.

While these are two examples of organisations assisting refugees in my electorate, there are hundreds more. We, as the government, working with them, can ensure that refugees have a safe place to call home.

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