Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Members

Anasina Gray-Barberio

Inaugural speech

Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (18:23): I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of all the unceded lands, skies and waterways on which we gather today. As I begin this important work in this place called Parliament, a place that was built by the colonisers of Naarm, I pay my deep respect to the ancestors and elders of Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung country of the Kulin nation. I pay my respects to Indigenous leaders here, including member of Parliament Sheena Watt, acknowledging her ancestral and cultural ties to the Yorta Yorta nation, as well as any other Indigenous leaders with us this evening in the chamber. Whether it is concrete, soil or gravel, wherever I walk I know I am walking on Aboriginal land – always was and always will be. I would like to acknowledge faith leaders, community leaders and elders in the gallery this evening.

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I have had the privilege of attending many welcome to country ceremonies, but one led by Sue Hunter, commissioner of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, had a grounding effect on me. She spoke of wominjeka, meaning to come with purpose, reminding me, any space I walk into, to always come with purpose.

My fellow colleagues and community, I rise today with pride and a sense of duty to give my first speech to accept the responsibility before me, aware of the sacrifices, trust and faith borne by all who have come before me, to be the next Greens representative for the Northern Metro Region. Let me begin by thanking my indomitable predecessor Samantha Ratnam for her relentless and courageous service. Sam – I will not look at you – you have decided to step up to contest the seat of Wills, and I have no doubt that you will bring a new world with you. Your enduring spirit for a better and hopeful future for all is what I will carry forward. Thank you for being a tenacious warrior.

I am delighted to join in a shared vision with my Greens colleagues, a vision that amplifies empowerment and communities, and to be at the interface between people and justice for better social, cultural and physical environments. I was drawn to the Greens because of their genuine commitment to the planet and to social justice and a dedication for a better future that includes everyone. Nelson Mandela boldly said that there comes a time in one’s life when one is faced with only two choices: submit or fight. I choose to fight – to defend people, the planet, freedom and our democracy.

I am not here just to fight for my people. I am here to advocate for all people of the Northern Metro Region. This region is a vibrant and diverse area, spanning Melbourne, Richmond and Brunswick and extending to the rural plains of Kalkallo. It boasts a rich cultural tapestry from the vibrant arts and music scenes in Northcote and Preston to the historic architecture of Essendon, the nature reserves in Greenvale and to where I proudly grew up, Broadmeadows, affectionately known as Broady.

But the socio-economic reality of this region is one of stark contrasts. Intergenerational wealth thrives alongside persistent poverty, with many hustling to break through the mould. While some enjoy inherited stability, others grapple with the simple act of not being included, feeling left behind by unequal development and economic stability. Parts of the region face challenges of below-average education outcomes, high poverty levels, housing unaffordability and limited access to essential economic and social infrastructure. This relentless disparity must be countered with inclusive growth, a growth that truly serves the aspirations of all communities in the region.

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My family and I arrived in Victoria in the late 1990s in search of better opportunities and a better life, all while understanding that there is no road to liberation; success and equity is easy. I am one of six kids, and if you know Islander families we do not come in small packages. We come in big boxes with lots of bubble wrap, where you always have someone to catch you, guide you and counsel you. I have most of them here today. I would like to pay tribute to my parents Paul and Sowalunga May who are here in the gallery for being staunch knowledge holders, cultural protectors, faith leaders, community builders, showing me a values-based leader is someone who listens with humility, speaks last to hear others and balances the power of peace and decisive action – to believe in the mana of who I am. To my siblings Junior, Junior, Lay, Lay and Emmy, thank you for catching me. My sisters-in-law, Alexandria and Charlene and my beautiful nephew Hugo and niece Ellory who complete our family.

Aiga, the Samoan word for family, is the heart of our culture and I want to extend my gratitude to my Aiga, the two Alwyn Gray families. To the Glenroy family and to the Greens family, thank you for your support. To our community elders, dear friends and supporters here and abroad, thank you for your prayers and fellowship. I would also like to thank my family – my husband Geoff who juggles his own professional responsibilities and supports me, and the sunshine of our lives our boys G and L. Your curiosity, your encouragement strengthens me every day. Mummy loves you.

Growing up in Broady was both a good and a hard existence. I love the fact that we grew up with families of different cultures, sharing in stories of resilience and collective experiences. But on the other side of this was hardship. Any time you said you were from the 3047 postcode, immediately expectations were lowered and stigmatising actions were instant. For a long time I did not feel like I had the power to determine my future, but as I grew older my community showed me that while I cannot see my future I could change my circumstances. I graduated from Penola Catholic College as one of only four Pacific Islander students. From those four, one became the first Pacific Islander to play in the AFL and the other, me, the very first Samoan MP – not bad for a couple of local brown kids.

Margaret Thatcher, the former UK Prime Minister, once said ‘there is no such thing as society.’ It was her belief that individual success is a personal responsibility, but this perspective fails to acknowledge the collective strength that drives progress. In Broadmeadows our achievements are a testament to the power of community, our families, villages and our society all working together to co-create opportunities for the next generation.

I had always known I wanted to give back to my community in some form, but I knew I needed to get some professional experience. I started working with vulnerable groups and the homeless, both adults and young people, learning deeply about the pervasive intrusion of trauma on people’s lives and their aspirations. I have worked in family violence advocacy to fight for culturally specific services for migrant and refugee women and children, communities too often overlooked by a system shaped through a predominantly white feminist lens. I have worked in multicultural foster care to ensure that children and young people removed from their homes remain connected to their culture, honouring their fundamental cultural rights.

I founded Engage Pasefika, a very small grassroots community organisation, in response to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our Pacific Island community. I had reached a juncture where I could no longer allow others to dictate what we could or could not access. Representation matters not just for our community but for all marginalised communities being met with one obstacle after another. They say you cannot be what you do not see. I say do not be afraid to be the first.

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As a Pacific Islander, we are the people of the Pacific, Samasa Ula Moana. The Moana for our island nations represents our sacred stories of courage and our relational bonds to the oceans and ancestral land. Our islands are on the frontline of the climate crisis, where communities are vulnerable to rising sea levels, with many facing the prospect of never being able to return home because it is under water, gone forever. Our Pacific neighbours from Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands will be among the first climate refugees. Rising tides and environmental degradation are forcing them to migrate to countries that do not share their cultural history, endangering their cultural rights and potentially giving up their sovereignty. This displacement is not just a matter of survival for our people; it is a profound loss of identity and self-determination as entire nations are pushed to the brink by the climate crisis. For some sitting in this chamber this may feel like a distant problem, but for many in our region and here today, the climate emergency is no longer a future crisis. It is a present reality that demands our immediate attention and action.

In Victoria we have seen the effects of the climate breakdown already: bushfires, scorching heatwaves, droughts and record-breaking floods no longer one-in-100-year events. Yet we continue to delay urgent bold action on these ever-increasing climate threats. The thing I have come to understand about the climate emergency is that if one is profiting from the climate crisis, it is not in their interest to pursue climate justice. We need to move on from performative politics and work towards a collective solution, a collective solution that constrains global warming from surpassing the irreversible 2 degrees, the point of no return.

I have met many in the community who, despite living in a wealthy First World country, struggle to make ends meet. I have met people who drive 40 minutes to the cheapest market every week just so they can save about 30 bucks on groceries, even though the two major supermarkets are just up the road. We should never lose sight of the fact that the cost-of-living pressures and the housing crisis are devastating so many beyond these walls. As elected representatives with different political persuasions we may not reach consensus on everything, but we do share an inheritance – to work together against pervasive and persistent systemic racism and discriminatory systems that polarise our societies. My people and I sang from the corridors this evening, then we were removed to a room. But we sang with joy, pride and humility because that is who we are. We were banned from sharing a small part of our culture with you this evening, a part of our culture that comes into this place with peace and goodwill. I urge you, it is not my community you need to be scared of. What you should be scared of is the fear you hold in your heart for communities that are not representative in this political institution. We have missed an opportunity to embrace what makes Victoria great, and that is our diversity in all its forms. I will not be the last to request for cultural rituals to be shared, but I do hope that for the next person representing a different part of our society this institution makes space for them and who they are.

In my culture our strength comes from community. I am here to share power with people, not over people. When we bring together voices and lived experiences from all walks of life, we are all powerful.

Members applauded.