Page 2915 - Week 07 - Thursday, 7 June 2012
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the new investment. The bank is the result of much hard work at a local community level, and I applaud the steering group of this great local initiative. I understand that over $7 million worth of business had already been written before the doors even opened.
Mr Nick Tsoulias, a driving force in the Calwell area, has been a key player in establishing this new community resource in Curtin. He was the first chair of the Curtin Community Bank steering group, and his work over the last five to six years, together with Viola Kalokerinos, has been important in developing much needed community resources in the south of Canberra, not just in Curtin but in the wider Tuggeranong Valley area.
The ACT Liberals have a great track record in support of community banking. It was Brendan Smyth who, in government in June 2001, allocated $10,000 towards a feasibility study for the Calwell Community Bank to assess its liability. That bank was also at Calwell shopping centre, and the Tsoulias family supported the initiative. I congratulate Nick Tsoulias and Viola Kalokerinos and the hardworking committee, composed of Vincent Tran, Simon Maddox, Steven Tupper, Jacqui Richardson, Jayson Hinder, Ann Doltan, Nicholas Brookes, Mili Dukic and Tim McGrane.
I also congratulate the Curtin Community Bank’s first branch manager, Andrea McCann, whom I met this afternoon. Mr Tsoulias said in a recent media release:
We are returning banking services to our community, and more importantly, local jobs. It is not often that a community such as ours has the chance to become shareholders in a public company that will directly benefit Woden organisations and projects.
Congratulations to all shareholders on this great initiative for the Curtin community, and also for the wider Woden area.
Last Sunday I was honoured to represent the Leader of the Opposition, Zed Seselja, at a wreath laying ceremony at the Australian Hellenic Memorial on Anzac Parade to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Crete in Greece during the World War II. This is the fourth year I have had such an honour, and I was in very good company with His Excellency Alexios Christopoulis, the Greek Ambassador to Australia; Mr John King, President of the RSL ACT Branch; Mr Peter Tsikleas, President of the ACT Hellenic Branch of the RSL; Mr Paul Levantis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra and District, to name just a few. The master of ceremonies was the ACT RSL Hellenic Branch Vice-President, Mr Michael Kazan, and the memorial service was conducted by the Reverend Fathers Petros and Konstantinos.
I applaud the Greek community here in Canberra for their ongoing recognition of those who made sacrifices during the battles of Crete and mainland Greece. Ceremonies such as this help to cement the bonds between Australia and Greece and are an important reminder of what our forefathers suffered for us to enjoy the freedoms we do in Australia today.
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