Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before I commence my remarks, I say to the senator that it's a real privilege to follow that contribution. I associate myself with every word of that contribution.

One of the great joys, one of the great privileges, one of the great honours of being a senator is having the opportunity, as I have today, to describe to this chamber and to the Australian people some of the great things happening in my home state of Queensland, including the wonderful work of many members of the community. First, I'd like to talk about our wonderful Niuean community in Queensland. I was going to make a contribution in this respect towards the end of the last parliamentary year, but there was pressing legislative business which prevented me from doing so. This is my first opportunity.

On Saturday 18 November, I had the privilege of attending the Logan City Rugby Union club to attend the blessing of jerseys and uniforms for young Niuean athletes who are going to the Solomon Islands to participate in the Pacific Games. It was a wonderful event. It was a real privilege to meet all of the Niuean members of our Australian community who are on their way to the Pacific Games. They performed admirably and did Niue and Australia proud, and I'd like to recognise a number of the participants and contributors to their efforts.

Firstly, in relation to the touch football tournament of the Pacific Games, there were Josilina Silimaka, Kathleen Love, Quincy Ikifana, Anita Silimaka, Milinui Utia, Bradley and Malina Pulsea, Beverly Toki, Richar Masters and Remus Gentles. The netball team had wonderful contributions from the manager, Carol Edwards; the Australian and Queensland based managers, Malama Rex and Ane Sipeli-Holamotu; coach Michelle Dufty, who is an absolute inspiration; and the playing group. They included the captain, based on the Queensland Sunshine Coast, Jenessa Noble; the vice-captain, Tiana Ikinofo; Queensland Brisbane players Jaselle Dilworth, Riley Nothdurft and Francine Falaniua-Morris; Gold Coast player Rosalina Tausi-Holamotu; New South Wales players Charina Jackson and Kiana Kinofo; Victorian players Shakaya Tanevesi, Khalias Tanevesi and Florence Ngan Woo; and Niuean based player Leilani Lui-Ikiua. I also acknowledge the Niuean chef de mission, Sidney Lui, and vice chef de mission, Tony Edwards. I also thank my very good friend Kautau Taleni for giving me this wonderful tie to wear as I give this presentation. It is in Niue's wonderful blue and yellow colours.

Congratulations to our Niue community. Every one of you is an absolute inspiration. Thank you so much.

Another inspiration is our wonderful Queensland African community and its members. The president of the Queensland African Communities Council, my good friend Beny Bol OAM, has sent me their most recent annual report, for the years 2022-2023. I want to quote to you what Beny says in his message from the president, because these are powerful words:

Once again, we as a community, have proven in 2022—2023 period that communities are at their best if they are practically empowered, trusted, resourced, believed and respected.

I couldn't agree more.

One of the greatest satisfactions I've had in my four and a half years in this place has been successfully advocating for funding for the Queensland African villages. There are three Queensland African villages, located at Moorooka, Geebung and Redbank Plains. I want to quote Beny as he describes the importance of those facilities: 'The establishment of the African villages has truly enabled QACC and the African community to realise the vision of embedding a system where service providers and government agencies operate jointly with the local community.'

In addition to hosting youth and family programs, the centres also host regular meetings and workshops—language workshops, specifically tailored professional seminars, interagency meetings, sport organisations' coaches' meetings and so on. Those Queensland African villages are just so important in terms of supporting young people in the community. I'm proud to have been associated with the provision of Commonwealth government funding to those villages.

But those villages and the work of the Queensland African Communities Council would be nothing without their volunteers. The Queensland African Communities Council has an absolutely outstanding cohort of volunteers. In fact, when I was putting the case for Commonwealth funding for the Queensland African community villages, I thought the best way to make the case was to invite the then minister for multicultural affairs the Hon. Jason Wood to come and visit some of the villages and introduce him to some of the youth mentors. And, sure enough, that made a lasting pression on the minister and helped provide a pathway to providing that funding.

I want to sincerely thank, from the bottom of my heart, all the volunteers at the Queensland African Communities Council who were involved in doing all the wonderful work that was required to organise the Queensland African Communities Council's wonderful night of celebration which they had to give out a number of awards to outstanding community members. I thank all of the youth mentors and everyone involved in those activities and all of the volunteers who gave up their time during the two wonderful football tournaments that the council puts on, including the African challenge of the nations and also the Mandela Cup.

I think it's important that I actually put on the record the names of those volunteers, because I think they should be recognised in this place. They should be recognised because the work they are doing in their community is so profoundly important. I was at the African cup of nations tournament. Let me tell you: it was hot and it was a challenging environment and those volunteers were out there working extraordinarily hard. It was quite inspiring. So I want to thank each and every one of these people: Jimmy Bin, who is the QACC sport coordinator; Sekou Turay; Momona Adgala; Paul Joseph; Araki Abdulrahman; Su Atem; Trecine Kitwanga; Edwin Lubari; Wilson Madit; Ronaldo Alfred; the mentors of the African Youth Support Council, Attis Cole, Sebson Sibanda, Samuel Kimanuka, Henry Kon, Girmay Gebremedhin, Jean Bosco and Belleange Thisbangu; and everyone else who volunteered their time and put their effort into supporting our wonderful Queensland African community in its endeavours over the last 12 months. The work you do is so incredibly important. You will always have my support. I am honoured and it makes me proud to have the opportunity to rise in this chamber and pay tribute to each and every one of you.