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

Recently, I had the honour of joining my local soccer club, the Green Island FC, at Warwick Farm as they gathered to train and play as well as celebrate with their Turkish Cypriot community who marked 80 years of settlement in Australia. I want to thank Tarkan Fahri, President of the Australian North Cyprus Friendship Association, for his kind invitation to meet with this soccer team and join the community in celebrating this great milestone. In attendance also were the Chamber of Australian Cypriot Turkish Professionals, the Northern Cyprus Turkish Association of New South Wales, the Turkish Cypriots of Australia—Social Media Platforms and, of course, our local residents who identify as Turkish Cypriots.

It is one of the greatest roles I have serving as the federal member for Fowler—getting the opportunity to meet so many communities from all walks of life, from different corners of the world, and from different cultures and faiths. It's this diversity that I want to preserve. At these events I proudly talk about the privilege that we have been given to rebuild our lives in Australia under the one Australian flag. Whatever conflict zones we have come from, I encourage and emphasise the importance of how as new Australians we must forge forward to ensure that those conflicts do not follow us to our new homeland.

Once again, I want to congratulate the Turkish Cypriot community for a great milestone and wish them continuing success.