Page 766 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS ORR (Yerrabi) (11.14): Harmony Day is an important day for all Canberrans as it provides us with the opportunity to acknowledge the rich diversity of cultures within our community. Coinciding with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Harmony Day brings Australians together to celebrate diversity and a richer sense of belonging for each and every one of us.
Here in Canberra we are fortunate to live in a city that fosters inclusiveness and acceptance. Canberrans understand the importance of multiculturalism, and we are proud to share our home with people from right across the world. We also acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, work and play. Their culture is a continuing contribution to the life of this city, and we continue to pay respect to their elders, past, present and future.
We see Canberrans come together each year at the National Multicultural Festival to celebrate the diversity of our city. It is important that we continue to acknowledge the cultural and religious groups that contribute to the life of the territory each and every day.
Like many of my colleagues, I have had the pleasure of attending a wide range of cultural and religious celebrations since being elected to this place, from citizenship ceremonies welcoming our newest Australians to Canberra, celebrating with the Mon community on their national day in February, and joining with the Jewish community at their Hanukkah celebrations here in the Assembly last year. These events highlight the outstanding contribution that people from all walks of life make to our city. Today in particular provides us an opportunity to come together with friends, family, colleagues and our wider community in recognising the value of living in such a successful multicultural city and country.
As Minister Stephen-Smith has already highlighted, the ACT government is committed to supporting the multicultural community here in Canberra. In 2015 the then minister for multicultural affairs declared the ACT a refugee-welcome zone to provide further support to refugees and asylum seekers. We have continued this support through the ACT government’s $1.2 million election commitment for a refugee and asylum seeker job pathway program, and refugees and asylum seekers in the ACT also have access to more employment opportunities through the expansion of the eligibility criteria for the Australian apprenticeships and skilled capital programs.
It is a great privilege to represent the people of Yerrabi, and in particular I would like to take the opportunity today to highlight the diverse group of cultures that call the electorate home. The 2011 census revealed that 53 per cent of constituents have at least one parent who was born outside Australia, with Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Korean, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese backgrounds, to name just a small few. Our community continues to thrive as a place of cultural richness, and we celebrate the more than 40 different cultures that call the area home.
However, the success of multiculturalism in my electorate, and across Canberra more broadly, must not be taken for granted. Racism and hate speech continue to threaten our community, and it is the responsibility of all of us to stand up to ignorance and
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video