Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 4 May I attended a Greek Orthodox service at the invitation of Archbishop Makarios, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia, and the president of the Kogarah parish, Nick Varvaris, who's also a former member of the federal parliament. The Orthodox Easter is an important moment in the Orthodox calendar and is celebrated by Greek, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Macedonian and Ukrainian Orthodox communities in our country. It was a tremendous honour to be there for the midnight service, which went into 5 May, with the archbishop and the other bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church in New South Wales.

I want to take the opportunity to thank and acknowledge the diocese and the great work it does in our community in providing services to the Greek Australian community, which has been a huge contributor to our society, particularly given the massive waves of Greek Australians who arrived after the Second World War. I want to acknowledge Archbishop Makarios and also the president of the parish, Nick Varvaris, for hosting me and other dignitaries on the evening to celebrate the Greek Easter.