Page 2086 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 June 2021
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demonstrating compassion for their experiences, and celebrating cultural and religious diversity in the ACT.
I thank the many organisations and individuals who work tirelessly to support this commitment to welcome refugees, especially the Multicultural Hub and MARSS Australia, though of course there are many more. Our shared experience of the COVID-19 global pandemic has only sought to remind us of our common humanity. This World Refugee Week I encourage all of us to continue supporting those in need and welcome all new Canberrans with open arms.
Murrumbidgee electorate—community events
Multicultural affairs—events
MRS JONES (Murrumbidgee) (5.09): On 27 May, it was my great honour to attend the Biggest Morning Tea, raising money for the Cancer Council at Car Mechanical Services in the suburb of Fisher. This great effort was run by great community contributors Charlie Sgroi and his wife Raffy, who managed to raise a substantial fund for a fabulous cause. More than 300 hosts in the ACT poured the coffee and laid out the cakes for the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea on that day and that week. Together, they raised more than $150,000 to fund lifesaving cancer research, advocacy, prevention and support programs. Mrs Sgroi knows very well the importance of support as someone going through cancer. She was diagnosed with the blood cancer multiple myeloma in 2018. I thank my colleague Elizabeth Lee, who attended this special event.
On 5 June, on a lovely freezing winter’s morning, I was very happy to attend the bulb planting for Floriade in the suburbs with Garran residents, including the joeys, cubs and scouts of Garran, as well as some avid local gardeners. This was a big community effort, collecting soil and bulbs and planting out beds, led by Robert Knight, the new chair of the community council. The Friendly Grocer supermarket and the Little Garran Cafe supplied chocolates and sweets to the troops. It was a great community effort.
I attended another planting on Sunday, 6 June, with the Weston Creek Community Council, with Bill, Michelle and Simone from the community council’s committee. Many local people, including children and green thumbs, planted flowers for Floriade. They included my little Liliana, who I am sure did a great deal to help. We cannot wait to see the bulbs come up. They will be at the corner of Streeton Drive and Darwinia Terrace in Weston Creek. It was a very good place to plant them, and we cannot wait to see them come up in the spring.
On 15 June, it was my great honour to attend the Embassy of Morocco, along with my Assembly colleague Peter Cain. We met the Ambassador, His Excellency Karim Medrek. We discussed many things, including Canberra’s Morocco-originating community. We also discussed Morocco’s amazing work in the de-radicalisation of those tempted by nihilistic Islamist ideologies. I was honoured to meet with the Ambassador and Youssef, his assistant. I thank him for his time and for our discussions, as I am sure does Mr Cain.
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