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

Last week I joined with people around the country to celebrate Australia Day, a day to celebrate our great country. In recent years, a campaign has been run by the National Museum of Australia called 'Australia Day—Your Way'. This campaign is to celebrate the many different ways of Australians around the country. For many people this year—16,000 of them, in fact—their way was to become a citizen of Australia at one of 400 citizenship ceremonies held on Australia Day. I have often said as the member for Reid that I have the honour of representing one of the most multicultural seats in this parliament. As a consequence of that I also have the honour of welcoming many of our new citizens at the regular ceremonies that are held across my electorate.

There is no doubt that Australia remains one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world. For generations our country has been built off the hard work and values that migrants have brought with them as they have settled into their new home, and that continues to this day. Australian citizenship symbolises much more than where we live or were born as an individual. It represents our commitment to Australia and its people, the values we share and our common future. And I can tell you that the pride I saw on the faces of our newest citizens on Australia Day and that I see throughout the year tells me that our country will continue to grow as a great multicultural society.

I attended three separate ceremonies on Australia Day—the first in Strathfield Park, the second in Burwood, at the library, and finally at Sydney Olympic Park in Auburn. I met people from too many countries to name—people who have come here from all around the globe. For all of those making the Australian citizenship pledge, the ceremony was a major milestone in what has been a long journey, often involving picking up their families and moving to an unknown land. I use the term 'milestone' here intentionally, rather than being a destination or a goal in and of itself, because, as I see every day, our most recent citizens always have the keenest awareness of what it means to be Australian citizens. They are eager to partake in society, to work or build their own businesses, to give back to their communities and to live in peace with their family. As the Prime Minister pointed out in his Australia Day address:

Our national identity is defined by shared political values, democracy, tempered by the rule of law. A deep belief that each of us owes the other a fair go, the best chance to realise our dreams.

I would like to thank the Mayor of Strathfield, Sang Ok, the Mayor of Burwood, John Faker, and the Mayor of Auburn, Le Lim, for the successful community events they held on Australia Day and for the work they do in holding these ceremonies. Particularly in an electorate such as Reid, it is an important part of our society. That gives you an idea of the importance of these ceremonies in my neck of the woods to so many families. To all our newest Australians, I say congratulations and welcome aboard.