Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a pleasure to rise today to acknowledge the remarkable efforts of the former Tasmanian Premier and current chair of the Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania, the Hon. Peter Gutwein. On 9 June, Mr Gutwein set off from Burnie to walk the 350-kilometre journey to Hobart, arriving on 16 June. Averaging around 50 kilometres a day, he was on a mission to raise awareness of the value that Tasmania's migrant and refugee communities bring to our state. Motivated by a racist incident in Hobart, he was determined not just to issue a statement condemning the behaviour but, rather, to try and do something meaningful to change the conversation in a positive and enduring way and highlight the positive contributions migrants have made to our community over many years.

As a migrant himself—the son of an English mother and an Austrian Yugoslav father—Mr Gutwein understands well the challenges but also the great benefits of inclusion and diversity. In his words, 'Migrants are truly remarkable people with great skills, and they're helping our communities in all kinds of fields, such as medicine, dentistry, construction, hospitality, retail, teaching and support services.'

Mr Gutwein had great support from the community, with many people joining him along the way to show their support for a multicultural Tasmania. The walk raised $60,000 for MRC Tasmania to support migrants and refugees, including for cultural awareness training. But, importantly, it has sparked an enduring and positive message that we should all work to amplify: we are stronger together.