Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Place names

Gary MAAS (Narre Warren South) (19:13): (946) The adjournment matter I wish to raise is for the attention of the Minister for Planning and concerns the name-a-place initiative. The action that I seek is that the minister provide an update on how the Victorian government’s name-a-place initiative will benefit constituents in my electorate of Narre Warren South. I welcome this initiative because it seeks to recognise people of all backgrounds, genders, identities and walks of life, including Australians from under-represented groups in our society. They may be a person or a group from a sporting club. They might be a volunteer, a multicultural or a multifaith group – anyone or any group of people who have made a contribution to the betterment of the lives of Victorians.

Unfortunately this focus on the unrepresented, those whose invitations we accept and those who we make invitations to has led to a backlash from a few, those who seek to divide for the benefit of a political or even a bigoted end. This is something that I have personally seen from the naming of Guru Nanak Lake in my electorate of Narre Warren South, which goes to acknowledge our large Australian Sikh community in Victoria and the incredible work that they do, especially in the outer south-east. Their work, culture and faith in Sikhism are all inextricably linked. You cannot go and separate the faith from the culture just because it meets political goals. Although the naming of this lake was not a part of the name-a-place initiative, the naming reflects the intent of this initiative to broaden our recognition of groups and individuals and multiculturalism in Victoria, even if some on the right and the far right, as you would have it, will continue to divide. When the leaders of Australia’s most prominent neo-Nazi group attend a rally you organised, stand beside you, listen to what you have to say and applaud you for bigoted division of our community, you really have to ask what side of history you are on and whether you are standing on the correct side of it.

Despite these voices, I am proud to be a part of our Allan Labor government, who will recognise migrants, women, our LGTBIQ+ community, our traditional owners and even those who may have disabilities who are continuing to make invaluable contributions to our Victoria. I look forward to sharing the minister’s response with my community.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I remind all members that the word ‘you’ refers to the Chair. I would appreciate if it was not used.