Tuesday, 21 June 2022

Riad Halim Asmar

The PRESIDENT (11:35): Last week was the funeral for my eldest brother, my teacher, my friend. My brother Professor Riad Halim Asmar wrote many books and taught me so many important lessons. He taught me to be respectable and humble and to respect others. He taught me to never forget where I came from but to be faithful to Australia and its people. Being politicians we face a lot of challenges, but when it comes to crucial and sad moments you have so many brothers and sisters, and this is the dignity and integrity of Parliament. I would like to thank my parliamentary colleagues from both houses, the clerks, the staff and the Department of Parliamentary Services for their support to me and the Asmar family. Riad, rest in peace. You will be missed, but you will never be forgotten.