Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the importance of Harmony Day, which is to be observed this Friday, 21 March. I would like to start by paying tribute to the member for Berowra, who initiated Harmony Day back in 1999, when he was the minister for immigration. The mantra of 'everyone belongs' is intrinsic to Australia's developing cultural identity. Within my electorate of Ryan, I have seen the many pockets of different cultures and national identities slowly merge and grow in mutual acceptance and understanding of one another. Harmony within Australia is by no means confined to one day each year.

There is harmony in my electorate when local community groups and individuals link together to support refugees and new Australians, to immerse themselves in the community, and to make new friends with new traditions. I see harmony when students at the University of Queensland, who come from all over the world, embrace their differences to work, play and laugh together while growing and learning from each other's experience. Harmony is when children go to playgroup with children of all backgrounds—immigrant, refugee, Indigenous Australian, Catholic, Muslim; the list goes on. Harmony is a consistently evolving foundation of our society. I look forward to seeing Australia grow as we learn from other cultures and others learn from us.

I would like to commend Kerrin Benson and her dedicated team at the Multicultural Development Association—including Sally Isles and Fraser Power—who epitomise what Harmony Day is all about.