Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm delighted to be able to participate in this direct hybrid parliament. Today I want to acknowledge one of the many ethnic and multicultural communities here in my electorate of Menzies—namely, the North Eastern Jewish War Memorial Centre and synagogue. For many decades now, the North Eastern Jewish Centre has played a vital part in the vibrant multicultural community here in Menzies, and I was delighted recently to be able to announce, along with the assistant minister, the member for La Trobe, a community safety grant for the centre. This centre sits in an exposed, isolated location, and it's important for the safety and wellbeing of members that they can feel that they can go to the various activities in the centre in all safety. So just yesterday the member for La Trobe, the assistant minister, and I spoke with members of the centre via a teleconference link, as we have to these days, and they were delighted with this further funding for the centre.

Finally on this note, I extend my condolences to the family and friends of the late Ben Alexander, one of the founding members of the centre, who died recently. He was a stalwart of the community who made a huge contribution not just to the Jewish centre here in Menzies but to the broader community. May he rest in peace.