Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand proudly here today to share with the House the importance of Diwali to the Indian communities in my electorate of Chisholm. Diwali symbolises the spiritual victory of good over evil, light over dark and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali runs for five days. It is a beautiful display of Indian culture, often seeing women beautifully dressed and homes and community centres brightly lit. On Saturday, I took the opportunity to celebrate Diwali with the Indian Senior Citizens Association of Victoria, which is based in my electorate. It was great to visit the association again, since my election. The Indian Senior Citizens' Association of Victoria started in 1995 with only a handful of people—about six or seven. Two years later, in 1997, the organisation formally established themselves and they have been going strong ever since. The organisation has grown to hundreds of members and they make some amazing and valuable contributions to both the Indian community in Chisolm and the wider Chisolm community today.

Saturday's celebration was filled with traditional music, dancing and great food. However, I still managed to speak to members of the organisation and hear their thoughts and concerns. Some of the guests I spoke to have called Australia home for over 40 years, while others had only recently come to Australia. Regardless of who I spoke to, there is one common thing in all their stories. Like many migrants, they all came to Australia to build a better life for themselves and, most importantly, for their children.

We as Australians should be proud of the fact that our way of life draws people from all over the globe to settle here. Many of the guests that I spoke to had migration stories that resonated with mine. I came to Australia 34 years ago. I was a student with no money, no family, no friends and with very little English. Like many migrants, I came here with a determination to succeed. I raised my children in this country and I worked immensely hard to start my own business, as so many migrants do. I was actively involved in my local community and my passion to make Australia a great place to live in is what has brought me here to this place at which I am speaking to you today.

Australia embraced me and provided me with countless opportunities and I know that the coalition government will continue to work tirelessly to provide opportunities for migrants to succeed. As the Prime Minister says, 'If you have a go, you get a go.' Migrants, after all, are an important part of why Australia is the great place to live today and we should all work together so that we can continue to contribute and make Australia an even better place to live in into the future.

This story is not unique to me or to the Indian community of my electorate. It is the story of many migrants around Australia, who have come from different parts of the world. Whether migrants of today or from a few generations back, we can all proudly call this great country home. Thank you again, Mr Speaker, for letting me speak on a subject so close to my heart and that I am truly passionate about.

House adjourned at 19:59