Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the people of the electorate of Wills—the people of Glenroy, Fawkner, Pascoe Vale, Hadfield, Oak Park, Coburg and Brunswick—I want to take a moment to say thank you for re-electing me to represent you in the federal parliament for a second term. It's a great privilege to serve our community in this place. It's something I will never take for granted. I've spent the last three years working for the people of Wills, listening to people, talking to people across the community and helping people. My constituents care. They care about a society having the chance to succeed and thrive. They care about quality schools, quality health care, good jobs and fair wages. They care about the importance of Australia taking real action on climate change and being part of the international solution to that crisis. They want everyone in our community, no matter a person's gender, religion, culture or ethnicity, being welcomed as equals. It's about embracing our differences and diversity as a strength of who we are and not allowing fear to divide us.

I am proud that we ran a very community centred campaign around the values of fairness and quality and the desire to get things done. While I wish we had had a different national result on 18 May, I'm incredibly humbled by the show of support from the people of Wills, and I thank them.

To my campaign team and to the Labor members in our area, the true believers who pitched in and volunteered their time and support for my re-election: I thank you. I would not be here without your dedication. To everyone in the electorate of Wills, whether you voted for me or not: I will do my best to represent you here in this parliament to the best of my abilities.