Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I would like to begin by talking about the enormous contribution the Vietnamese community has made and continues to make in the western suburbs of Melbourne through volunteerism and commitment to community. The Vietnamese community in my electorate of Fraser has made the extraordinary effort of raising more than half a million dollars for the new Footscray hospital. Between the Vietnamese Community in Australia, the VCA Victoria Chapter, their fundraising dinner earlier in August and the recent event held by the Quang Minh Temple, over $530,000 have been raised to date. These funds will be used to help with the development of the new hospital, which is set to open in 2025. This hospital is one of the largest-ever health infrastructure projects in Victoria or, indeed, Australia's history and will make it easier for Victorians in Melbourne's west to find the support they need when they need it and where they need it. Online donations for the fundraiser will remain open until lunar new year, after which the final amount raised will be donated in February next year.

I'd like to extend my admiration to the Vietnamese Scout groups, the veterans association, Australian Vietnamese Arts and the Australian Vietnamese Women's Association for the generous contributions and their participation in ensuring that the evening and all of the various fundraising events were a success. Further, I would like to thank Happy Receptions for providing catering for both events. Happy Receptions is a focal point of our community in the west, hosting so many important events and often doing so in a generous way where it contributes to holding of the event. I would also like to thank the Catholic and Buddhist communities that greatly assisted with the fundraising effort and helped make the evening memorable.

Finally, to the Bonsai Club and the senior groups of Grimbank: thank you for your attendance and your generosity in helping to reach such an incredible goal.

Although the significance of these fundraising events cannot be understated, they represent only two of the many efforts that decorate the Vietnamese community's long history of volunteering and community service. The Vietnamese community, of course, has raised significant funds after natural disasters such as the bushfires several years ago and after the earthquakes in Turkiye. Next year, the community will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of Vietnam War and, importantly, 50 years of settlement in Australia. That community has achieved so much and given so much in those five decades. These fundraising efforts were part of the theme, 'Thank you Australia', which will be prevalent throughout events in 2025 to celebrate the 50th milestone—although, as I say so often at Vietnamese community events, the thankyou really should go the other way.

The long history of service reflects the strength that can be found in diversity. Once again I'd like to recognise the Quang Minh Temple and VCA Victoria for hosting these events and, further, for their wider service to Melbourne's west. I look forward to later opportunities to highlight the work of these groups in 2025 when we celebrate 50 years of settlement.

Today in parliament the annual Federal Parliamentary Interfaith Breakfast was held. It is now one of the most significant events on the parliamentary calendar. Today's event was the 10th interfaith breakfast celebrating the strength of diverse faith communities and the positive impact that they have made to Australia. At a time when geopolitical, ethnic and religious tensions are heightened globally, the interfaith breakfast and events like it are a reminder that social unity, peace, tolerance and democracy are critical strengths of our culture and our nation. I acknowledge that adversity is being experienced by people of all faiths and that interfaith relations are key to fostering positive dialogues between political and religious leaders while also keeping Australians united.

Faith groups in my electorate of Fraser are extremely important in the community. They support members, enable them to celebrate and preserve culture and provide a safe place to socialise. I was so pleased that this year we were able to invite faith leaders from our communities to join the breakfast. I thank representatives from faith groups who made the trek to Canberra: from the Quang Minh Temple, Venerable Thic Phuoc Tan; from the Australian Light Foundation, Hamdi Koyu; from the Melbourne Mandir, Nimesh Patel; and from Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and the Chin community, Fr Lal Zin Thang and Rual Lian Thang. There were other faith communities that had very much wanted to attend but due to logistical challenges weren't able to, and I acknowledge them also.

Multiculturalism and diverse faith is part of Australia's great success story, so I thank all of those this morning from my community who attended.