Thursday, 20 June 2024

Members statements

Vietnamese Museum Australia

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (10:06): Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the Vietnamese Museum Australia gala along with member for South-Eastern Metro Mr Tarlamis, member for Laverton Sarah Connolly and Minister for Small Business, Minister for Veterans and Minister for Youth in the other place the Honourable Natalie Suleyman, and Mr Trung Luu was there as well. It was a fantastic night to celebrate the VMA’s achievements, Vietnamese heritage and the unique Vietnamese refugee experience. Of course today is World Refugee Day, and it is a day where we celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of so many Victorians who arrived in our state as refugees to make a better life. I cannot think of a better example of that than the experience of our vibrant and strong Vietnamese community here in Victoria. Each of those refugee stories are unique, and they are going to be honoured through the museum, which I am delighted to say will be in Melbourne’s west. The Allan Labor government has been proud to support this project, with more than $6.6 million in funding to build Australia’s first Vietnamese cultural centre and museum in the heart of the western suburbs in Melbourne, and I congratulate everybody who is involved in this project – the chair Bruce Mildenhall, the CEO Tammy Nguyen and the VMA board – on a wonderful evening last Friday.