Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From a small temple in Gujarat over 100 years ago, BAPS has grown to nearly 4,000 centres worldwide, including many across Victoria and Australia. I have had the privilege of attending several BAPS events during my time as a federal MP, including at the BAPS temple in Cranbourne South. The four pillars of BAPS philosophy—righteousness, knowledge, detachment from material goods and devotion to God—are the values I deeply cherish. BAPS members embody these values through selfless service to their families, communities and the nation. Their work, such as organising regular religious assemblies, blood donation drives, food distributions and fundraising for drought relief, perfectly illustrates this philosophy in action.

A few months ago, BAPS had the great honour of gifting the Akshar Purushottam Darshan to the Australian parliament, where they now proudly reside in the Parliamentary Library. Members of the Hindu Council of Australia and BAPS communities are here today to celebrate and host us for the Diwali and Annakut festival celebrations right here in Parliament House. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Hindu Council of Australia and my BAPS family in Holt.

Over the past few weeks, I have been out in the community doorknocking and listening to the concerns of my constituents. A common issue raised has been the sharp increase in gas bills this year. Gas is an important part of Australia's economy. It supports manufacturing and is vital to heating our homes and cooking our food. Families and businesses alike are feeling the strain of increasing gas bills, and it's crucial that we act to address these concerns. The good news is that the government is already taking steps to tackle this problem. The Albanese government's Future Gas Strategy aims to bring prices under control by ensuring that there is enough gas supply for our needs until 2050. We will ensure government policies are in place to enable us to search for more gas and increase investment in production. We are also putting in place stronger regulations on gas exports and promoting investments in renewable energy to reduce our long-term dependency on gas. This is a plan that will ensure Australian families and businesses will have access to affordable and reliable gas into the future.

In closing tonight, I would like to speak on the ongoing oppression of women under the Taliban rule. I have previously spoken in this House about the Taliban's severe restrictions on women, including being banned from public life, education, leaving their homes or speaking in public. As the federal member for Holt, I have heard firsthand the deep concern for the safety and dignity of the Afghan women from the members of my community.

Our government, alongside global partners like Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, is taking decisive action. At the recent UN General Assembly, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, initiated proceedings under article 29 of the Convention on the Elimination on All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This is the first step before filing official proceedings with the International Court of Justice. If the case proceeds, Afghanistan will become the first country to be summoned to the international court for gender based discrimination. To quote Minister Wong:

We will not stand by and allow the situation in Afghanistan to become a 'new normal'.

We have heard the calls of Afghan women and we are committed to defending their human rights and amplifying their voices.

Australia stands firmly in defence of Afghan women's rights. Their voices will not be silenced and neither will ours.

House adjourned at 20:00