Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I rise to pay tribute to Mick and Steve Dimos, two brothers, two true believers, two people who deserve to be remembered in this place. Mick and Steve sadly passed away recently, within weeks of each other—Steve on 11 June at the age of 86 and Mick on 19 July at the age of 89. These brothers migrated here from Macedonia in their very early years and were the third generation of their family to migrate to this country. Mick and Steve raised their families here, instilling in them the same values that guided them throughout their lives—commitment to teamwork, to sharing and to social justice and a desire to see fairness for all. They were soon, in this light, members of the Australian Labor Party, joining the Collingwood branch back in 1964, and were long-standing and active members of the Lalor branch in the Scullin electorate.

For Mick and for Steve, I know that one of their proudest moments was when they were awarded their 40-year life membership medallions in 2005. The brothers were well known to four generations of local Labor politicians, and they will be well remembered by each and every one of us as people who attended branch meetings and worked on every election campaign, who had a commitment to our cause that never wavered and who were always ready and willing to give their all to get their party elected. Importantly—this is why it's so important to me that I remember Mick and Steve in this place—they were the very best of the movement that I am proud to serve in this place, because they gave so much while asking for nothing for themselves, save for the opportunity to contribute to a country that had given them something and to a movement that represented their ideal of how society should be.

Their contribution did not begin and end with the Labor Party. I want to acknowledge in particular their deep interest in and commitment to the Macedonian Orthodox Church in the northern suburbs and broadly, a commitment that meant a lot to them and gave so much to so many. Their commitment more broadly to community is something that was well remembered, I think, particularly, at Mick's funeral last week, which I was unable to attend due to my commitments in this place, but I know that many community members, as well as party members and union members, attended there in a mark of respect and solidarity. I think of Mick and Steve as two people who brought great meaning to my life through their friendship and their support. They're two people who I will miss greatly, and I know that many more will miss them more. So I say: vale Mick, vale Steve, and thank you for everything.