Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 11 June I joined my Sabean Mandean community in Fowler on the first-ever Remembrance Day organised by the Mandean youth of the community, which included Jenna, Yasmine, Maia, Elan, Sam, Emile and Samer. I was inspired by their determination to preserve their identity and traditions. For these young Australians, the day allowed them to reflect upon the significant cultural history of this minority group and honour the Mandean martyrs who died during wars and many other tragic events in Iraq, Iran and Jordan. This is the first time the Mandean community has come together to mark this date as their Remembrance Day. It held profound meaning for their community as they remembered the hardships endured and lives lost and paid tribute to those who sacrificed everything for the sake of their faith and traditions. I stand in solidarity with the Mandean community, acknowledging their history, struggles and aspirations. We must strive to create an environment where individuals, regardless of their religious beliefs or cultural backgrounds, can live without fear of persecution or discrimination in this rich and culturally diverse society of ours.

More recently, on 26 July, I held the Fowler Small Business Forum, where I invited local businesses to come together with the aim of hearing from local business owners about what areas are working for them and what needs to be done and improved. There have been many policy and legislation changes which impact small business, such as the industrial relations reform, the 'closing the loophole' bill and the review into Australia's migration system. I was joined by the honourable Bruce Billson, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, who was able to answer questions and provide relevant information to support the businesses. I thank Mr Billson for providing our small-business community with insights into the work of his office. His overall knowledge of the sector was clearly visible. It is comforting to know that small business and family enterprise have a passionate ally in him, who's advocating strongly to government.

Also, thanks to the Fairfield HQ for assisting us with the space and ensuring that people were able to get the most out of the forum. The Fairfield HQ is a business hub and co-working space that I can proudly say I advocated, which the mayor, Frank Carbone, and Fairfield City Council really support in developing. If you're a small business in south-west Sydney, please do check it out. I know that the forum gave many attendees the opportunity to be heard and to understand that there is an agency that understands their struggles and challenges. More needs to be done for small businesses in Fowler, and I will continue to work with agencies such as the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman to ensure that there is support, resources and, especially, information in language that can be accessible to multicultural communities.