Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak of the tragic death last week of Huy Tran, a long-term member of the Cabramatta branch of the Labor Party. Huy was one of the first Vietnamese people I met. He welcomed me to the community when I became the member for Fowler. At just 45 years of age, Huy's unexpected death was a surprise to all of us and was such a tragic loss to his family and friends.

Huy was a good friend to me. He was a political colleague totally committed to the values of Labor. He was a corporal in the Australian Army Reserve and was also highly regarded by his colleagues at Western Sydney University. Huy was always active in and a strong contributor to my election campaigns. As a long-term resident of Carramar, he was an impressive advocate for the needs of the community and was never afraid to raise matters of local importance. Huy also spoke regularly with me about issues of human rights in Vietnam, and clearly he was a champion of diversity and multiculturalism in our community. Above all, he was a proud family man. His joy was in his wife, Mai Le, and his two children, Vi and Nam. Huy will be deeply missed by his parents, his family and his friends, as well as our diverse community of Western Sydney and particularly those of us in the Labor Party. May he rest in peace.