Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are over 1.4 million Australians of Chinese heritage, and we have recently seen the culmination of the lunar new year festival period, also known as spring festival or Chinese new year. As the electorate in this place that, on the new boundaries, will have the largest Chinese diaspora—at 29 per cent in the census—I want to say how grateful I am to represent this community and also how much I enjoy attending so many festivals in the community. This is the Year of the Snake. I was born in the Year of the Snake. Can I say—and apologies in advance to Hansard—xin nian kuai le, gong xi fa cai.

With that, I thank all of the organisers of the many events, including Michael Zhou of the Zhejiang United Association. We gathered at Riverstone Estate in the Yarra Valley and were joined by a lovely crowd, including the founding president, Jing Chen. I also thank the FCA, who organised an event in Springvale. Derrick Chen is the head of the FCA and also a constituent of mine in my electorate. I also want to thank his vice-president, Chunjiang Wu. This was an event that took a lot of work. I want to thank everyone who put it together.

The signature event in Melbourne which attracts the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and, I think, just about every MP in Melbourne and beyond is the ABAW lunar new year event in Box Hill. I thank ABAW's president, Bihong Wang, its vice-president, Richard Shi, Tim Chen and their committee for their hard work and dedication. You are professionals in every sense of the word and that was a superb event. It was attended by over 100,000 people.

Earlier in the day, I attended the light offering and world peace blessing ceremony in Box Hill. I want to thank Linda Chea, the president of this association. It was organised by Fo Guang Shan Melbourne and the Buddha's Light International Association of Victoria. It was also attended by the venerable Jue Min, superintendent of Fo Guang Shan Melbourne.

I want to thank the lunar new year committee from the CYSM, the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne, who, with the HGYS and the BCA, the Bendigo association, gathered for a lunar new year parade and dragon dance in Melbourne. Thank you to Bill Lau, Carmen Lau and all of the organisers who put that event on. It was my honour to be there.

Later in the day, we attended Melbourne's premier event for lunar new year, which had the Lord Mayor in attendance and many distinguished guests. Can I single out Christina Zhao, president of the MCBA, and also those who organised it, including Philip Liu, who is a councillor of Chinese heritage. There are many of Chinese heritage on the council, but he put a particular effort into organising that. That was also attended by over 100,000 people.

I thank Michelle Chen, David He and Derrick Chen again, who are from the Source and the FCA and had a spring gala event in the Besen Centre. I thank Tony Zalewski, who organised a community lunar new year event at the Stables Provedore Cafe. It was attended by over 150 people. I thank Selina Leung of the Manningham senior club Chinese celebration, which is the largest club in my electorate. At their event there were 38 tables, with over 10 people on each table. I was proud to sponsor that event. I thank Jordon Chen of the Shandong Association, who organised an event in the Box Hill Town Hall, noting that my principal adviser in my electorate office who teaches me Chinese is from Shandong as well.

I thank the Fusion Arts Spring Festival organisers, particularly Mrs Xia and Mrs Fang, for their event. I also thank the Box Hill Hawks for their lunar new year dinner. Ed Sill is the president, but the brains behind that is Diana Lin and the committee. Thank you for putting that together. It is a meld of two cultures: AFL and lunar new year. Then, finally, whilst not in my electorate, I spoke with Katie Allen, who is our Liberal candidate in Chisholm, and she wanted me to put her thanks on the Hansard record for the Glen Waverley event which was organised by Cecilia Hsieh and Hong De Lion and the Dragon Dance Association. Finally, it is worth noting that this is the first ever lunar new year event marked on the UNESCO heritage list. Xie xie.