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

Before I make my contribution, I would like to acknowledge the extraordinarily important points made by Senator Payman in relation to the plight of women in many parts of the world. In particular, I say to our wonderful Afghani-Australian community that our thoughts and prayers are with the women of Afghanistan at this extraordinarily difficult time.

On Saturday 22 October I was delighted—indeed, honoured—to attend the 20th anniversary celebration dinner of the Buddha's Light International Association of Queensland Loving Care Group. This is a group that has been providing charitable support to all sorts of organisations across Queensland for the last 20 years. I want to provide you with three important reflections on my attendance that evening.

The first is the extraordinary number of charities which this group has supported over its 20-year existence. In their beautifully prepared presentation booklet for the 20th anniversary dinner they list a number of those charities which were supported in just the last 12 months. They've supported the Lord Mayor's Charitable Trust, Foodbank, Logan SES, GIVIT storms and flooding appeals, the Lord Mayor's Charitable Trust again, the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Foundation, the Children's Hospital Foundation, the Australian Koala Foundation, Surf Life Saving Queensland, Gold Coast Youth Service and many, many more, just in the last 12 months.

There are many more dozens of charities that have been supported by this group. As the Mayor of Brisbane, the right honourable Adrian Schrinner; the Mayor of Logan, Darren Power; the Lady Mayoress of Brisbane, Nina Schrinner; and the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane, Edward Tao, all mentioned, the association have provided outstanding service to not only our community in Brisbane and the wider Queensland community but also the international community.

The second reflection is on the bond between the members of the Loving Care Group. United by their Buddhist faith, many of them have been attending the same temple in Logan in the greater Brisbane area for the last 20 years, the Chung Tian Temple in outer Brisbane. You can just see that through their faith, love and compassion that they have formed a family bond that is truly inspiring and deeply moving on so many levels. It's something we could all be inspired by.

I'd like to pay tribute to a number of individuals who participated in the evening and whose names should be put on the Hansard of this place as a positive example for all Australians. Firstly, the Chief Abbess for Australia, the Venerable Man Ko, was there and made a presentation, as did the Abbess of the Chung Tian Temple, the Venerable Man Wang. There was also the current group leader of the chapter, Mrs Pei-Lien Hsueh, who made a moving presentation. I'd also like to give my deep appreciation and respect to the chair and founding adviser of the Loving Care Group, Mrs Yuan Fu, who has provided outstanding leadership of this group through her personal example, her character, her care and her commitment. She has been an outstanding leadership figure in this group over many years.

I congratulate all the members of the Loving Care Group on their 20th anniversary and on their celebration on Saturday night. During the course of the celebration we were all given a leaf, which came from what's known as the Buddha tree. I made a commitment on the night that I'll keep that leaf in my drawer in this place to remind me of the great work that so many Australians are doing and of the great charitable work which this group and others are doing to make a better Australia, along with their love and compassion.

Senate adjourned at 20 : 37