Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the seat of Reid I am blessed to have many wonderful communities. I go back a long way with one in particular—my local Maronite community. St Joseph's at Croydon was opened and blessed in 1978, and a year later I made my way to St Pat's at Strathfield, where I had my first contact with the Maronite community. I remember saying to a young mate there, 'Are you Catholic?' He said, 'No, I'm Maronite.' I saw his mother later in the year. I did not know what Maronite was. It was my first exposure. His mother said to me, 'Craig, you know how you're Catholic?' I said, 'Yes.' She said, 'We're more Catholic than you are.'

I tell that story a lot in the community. They laugh a lot at it. But I am always made to feel at home. It will be no exception this Friday night. A couple of weeks ago Anthony Bazooni, a mate of mine, took me to meet with Father Elie, the wonderful parish priest, who explained their plans over the next two to three years for child care and community facilities. This Friday night, Bishop Tarabay, the head of the Maronite Church in Australia and, until recently, my back-fence neighbour, will be there presiding over this amazing community as they ask it to dig deep. I know they will. My wife, Suzie, and I will be with them enjoying the wonderful hospitality, the camaraderie, the food and, of course, that amazing Lebanese dancing. I have my hands ready to go. I have the shuffle ready to happen and we are ready to celebrate into the wee hours of the morning, as my friends say, on Lebanese time.