Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today many Australians of Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean heritage will be celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with their families and friends. The Mid-Autumn Festival, or moon festival as it is often known, is an ancient festival during which gratitude is expressed for good harvests and abundance. It is also a festival where togetherness with family is celebrated. Today and this evening, I am sure families from many communities around Australia will be coming together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Some will be sharing moon cakes, some will be sharing fruit and gifts and others will be lighting and hanging lanterns.

Today gives us another opportunity to continue to champion the benefits of a vibrant multicultural Australia. The diversity of this country is a strength—modern Australia and multicultural Australia are the same thing. It also gives us a chance to celebrate the contribution of people of Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean backgrounds. These communities generously and openly share their culture, traditions and heritage with us all.

The full moon is a central part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolising harmony and unity. These are values that the Labor Party strives to uphold, and we are grateful for the partnerships that have been created by these various communities. Modem multicultural Australia should give us the opportunity to celebrate every occasion with joy rather than avoid religious or cultural references out of fear. It is in the spirit of celebration and togetherness that I wish everybody celebrating this evening all the very best for a Mid-Autumn Festival!