Thursday, 18 April 2024

Adjournment

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (16:58): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

Multicultural festivals and events program

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (16:58): (820) My adjournment matter this evening is for Minister Stitt in her capacity as Minister for Multicultural Affairs. The action that I am seeking is an update on the funding being delivered to support multicultural events across Victoria, but especially those in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region. The Allan Labor government has a proud track record of and a strong commitment to investing in multicultural festivals and events through programs such as the multicultural festivals and events program. That program in particular has helped out groups such as the Springvale Asian Business Association to put on its amazing new year celebration each year.

Recently, along with colleagues including Mr Tarlamis and members from the other place, I had the privilege of attending the Victorian Afghan Associations Network’s Nowruz festival in Dandenong Park over the weekend. This celebration of Afghan new year, which was timed to be at the end of Ramadan, attracted more than 10,000 people, both Afghan and from other cultures and from right across the south-east of Victoria. It was a wonderful showcase of Afghan culture, which was absolutely fantastic to take part in. I would like to take thank Hafiz Asadi, the VAAN president, for extending an invitation for me to attend the festival.

I also had the privilege of attending with the Vietnamese community and joining with them in the flag-raising ceremony in Dandenong on Saturday. This was a very special annual ceremony, which was an important event for the community and a flag-raising for the people in acknowledgement of the forthcoming Black Friday anniversary of when people had to flee at the fall of Saigon.

I also had the privilege of joining with the Cambodian community over the weekend in the Cambodian Buddhist Association of Victoria’s new year celebrations in Springvale South. I would also like to thank them and acknowledge that we are now in the Year of the Dragon, Buddhist era year 2568. It was terrifically attended by many people from across the community, with lots of cultural performances, prayers and dances. I would like to thank the CBAV for inviting me as well.

I am very proud to represent a region such as the south-east that is the multicultural heart and multicultural capital of this state, but we are certainly not the only region that has strong and vibrant multicultural communities, including up here in northern Victoria. I had the privilege of meeting many members from diverse backgrounds at the Shepparton Youth Forum on Tuesday. It was really wonderful to see and learn from their experiences, particularly their stories as new Australians setting up their lives in wonderful regions such as where we are today. To restate the action that I am seeking: it is for the minister to update me on the funding being delivered to support multicultural events in Victoria and in particular in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region.