Page 3963 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 23 October 1990
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borrow. There is an exhibition of paintings by Patrick Morison at the Graphix Brasserie in Green Square, Kingston, which opened at 5 o'clock this afternoon.
Today there were also free films around mental health issues at the National Library. A bush dance is due to be held tonight. Tomorrow is an open day at the Queanbeyan Hospital Mental Health Service. On Thursday there is a street stall being held in Monaro Street, Queanbeyan, and Saturday is open day at Hennessy House - between 2.00 and 9.00 pm, just behind the Calvary Hospital. I strongly urge any members of the Assembly who are interested in these activities, and, in particular, in supporting some of the work done by people who are labouring to make this area a more effective part of the ACT's provision of social services, to go to one of those occasions and find out what is going on in this area in the ACT.
Gulf Crisis
MRS GRASSBY (10.14): I rise to speak on behalf of Australian citizens, particularly in this city, whose first language is Arabic. That includes many Australians, particularly in this city. I speak in their defence at a time when they are torn between their love for their loved ones back in the country that they came from, and what could be a very nasty war which we all may be dragged into. We may meet our maker long before we wish to.
The fact is, Mr Speaker, that there are many nasty things being said about those people in the press these days, because of the fact that their first language was Arabic and because the war, as we all know, is between Iraq and America and the rest of the world. May I say that many horrible things have been written in papers lately, and in many cities - not so much in this city, thank goodness - we are seeing that the people whose first language is Arabic are being treated as though they do not belong in this country. All citizens in this country have their rights, and as the Australian Labor Party we stand for justice for all citizens in this land, no matter where they were born; whether they were born in this country or born in another country. As Robbie Burns said, "a man's a man for a' that". Therefore every person has all the rights to be a citizen and to be treated as a citizen in this country.
May I say, Mr Speaker, that I hope to goodness that people will come to their senses and we will not see a war in the Middle East. Most of all, may I say that citizens of this country whose first language has been Arabic should be treated as one of us. Their loved ones back in the country that they came from may be going through most tremendous trauma now. Therefore these people need a lot more care and understanding from us in this country.
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