Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to congratulate the Eastern Community Legal Centre on 50 years of service to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. This is an historic milestone. The Eastern Community Legal Centre provide crucial free legal support to people in our community. Their team are so passionate and so dedicated, and they help an astounding number of people. Their work goes beyond legal services. They're also focused on prevention, community outreach and support. They're a truly interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary centre. Our community is better because of the Eastern Community Legal Centre. I will always advocate for the centre and the exceptional work that they do.

In National Reconciliation Week, it is important for each of us to consider how we can walk towards a better future for First Nations Australians. Part of reconciliation is understanding our history and confronting the injustices of the past. This year's theme is 'Now more than ever', and this serves as a reminder to all of us in this House and in our communities across the country of how important it is to make progress towards reconciliation. We all have a part to play. I'm proud to be part of a government that is focused on achieving better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is a really important week. I note that the House has been lit up in colours to recognise this important week, and I hope that, as we celebrate and reflect on this week for years to come, we see true reconciliation come closer to being a reality.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a community lunch with the Circolo Pensionati Italiani di Oakleigh e Clayton. This is a brilliant group of retired Italians in our community. It was a really beautiful lunch. I felt very privileged to be there, and I felt very welcome. As someone with Italian heritage, I ran into some old family friends too, which was lovely. I want to thank the group for their great hospitality and kindness, for all of the work that they do connecting people in the Italian community in the south-eastern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne to one another, and for creating such a wonderful atmosphere for people to participate in. They have regular community lunches and dances, and these are really important for keeping older Australians in our community—and Italian Australians in particular—connected and active. It was really special to have lunch with everybody, and I look forward to visiting again soon. I did promise that I would attend a dinner dance in the year ahead, so I look forward to doing that. I have many fond memories of attending Italian dinner dances when I was a kid, so this will be very special too.

Chinese Australians in my community in Chisholm are preparing to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. This is a really special time for coming together, for enjoying dumplings with one another and being in community. I want to wish all Chinese Australians—not just in my electorate of Chisholm, but right across the country—a very happy Dragon Boat Festival. May your festivities be filled with joy, laughter and cherished moments with family and friends. Duanwu jie kuaile!