Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:30): (1401) The adjournment matter I wish to raise this evening is for the attention of Minister Stitt, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, who by great good fortune happens to be in the chamber with us this evening as well. It concerns Victorian Mosque Open Day. Many of us on this side of the house in particular had the great opportunity of going and visiting some of our mosques over the weekend at the terrific open mosque day event. I had the opportunity of visiting a great new centre in the heart of Dandenong, a centre run by the Young Muslims of Australia association. It was a terrific opportunity for all Victorians to reach out to and engage with different religious communities that many of us are not typically accustomed to. For me it was a great experience and a great opportunity to learn personally about some of the ways in which young constituents of mine in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region are engaging with their Islamic faith. It was a great opportunity going there in the mid-afternoon to see afternoon prayers and to be so warmly welcomed and shown exactly how everything is done.

I would like to particularly thank the two lovely young men who showed me around, Muhammad and Ilyas, for the wonderful conversations I was able to have with them about their faith but also about their broader experience of being a young person growing up in the south-east in the very heart of multicultural Australia. Open mosque day is a terrific event which is supported through funding by the Allan Labor government, and I note earlier speeches in the day that touched upon that contribution that the government makes to these important events as well. In that spirit I ask the minister: can you outline for me what sorts of supports are being provided to this terrific program?