Welcome to Australia

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (15:53): It is my privilege to be jointly hosting on 19 September a welcome event in my electorate to be held at the beautiful Reedbeds Community Centre at Fulham. I am jointly hosting this with Welcome to Australia and the City of West Torrens. I know that you are acutely aware of the role that Welcome to Australia plays, Deputy Speaker, as are many members in this place. I also acknowledge the contribution being made by Mayor John Trainer and the West Torrens council with some funding for this event, as well as the multicultural state government grant that was awarded to host this event.

The aim of the event is to bring together people from emerging communities, refugees and other multicultural groups from our community. On that day we will be providing a free barbecue and there will also be events for children including, amongst other things, a jumping castle. We will also have the Afghani women's choir in attendance, members from various multicultural organisations and clubs, and performances by our magnificent local Henley and Grange band as well. Certainly, it is my view that an event like this provides a great opportunity for the diverse members of our community to come together in a formal setting and get acquainted with one another and feel part of the new community, and for others in attendance as well (people from within the area and elsewhere) to make those people know and feel that they are welcome in Australia.

For those who do not know the Welcome to Australia team or organisation, it includes people from a range of cultures, faiths, ages and political persuasions, and I am pleased to report that Welcome to Australia will partner with anyone who wants to offer a warm, positive and dignified welcome to asylum seekers, refugees and other new arrivals and who are committed to the vision of an inclusive, welcoming and just Australia.

The Welcome BBQ I believe is a special event, and it is special because it is a tangible expression and celebration of the Colton electorate and the West Torrens community's willingness to welcome refugees. Not only that, it engages everyday Australians in the act of cultivating welcome and acting out the kind of community that they want to be—a culturally diverse and richer community for the contribution made by refugees, past and present, that also provides a space for everyone to come together and be able to express those values and make new friends.

I have been heartened by the positiveness of local organisations to showcase their sporting clubs and promote membership. For example, the Grange Lawn Tennis Club (I have spoken about them before) have a very active program of engaging people from emerging communities in playing tennis, and they will be coming along on the day with tennis equipment to share with those attending, amongst other community organisations that will also be in attendance.

We also have many special guests coming that day. I am very pleased that Steve Georganas (the candidate for Hindmarsh) will be attending. Senator Wong and her family will be in attendance. Minister Close and her family have made a commitment to attend. Numerous councillors of the West Torrens council and, of course, Mayor Trainer and Mayor Keneally will attend, amongst many others.

I am very pleased, as I said, to be able to co-host this event. I am very proud of the work that Welcome to Australia does and, for those who have not been to their Hawker Street Welcome to Australia centre, I urge you to go along and attend and meet these people we are all trying to make feel welcome here in South Australia.

I want to finish off in the last 40 seconds I have left by saying that here we are setting up a situation where we welcome people to Australia and I must admit I have been a bit horrified, like so many people, at the largest humanitarian crisis that this world has seen since the conclusion of the Second World War. I have been very disappointed with the federal government's attitude with respect to Australia's role in assisting in this humanitarian crisis. I am somewhat heartened, although it remains to be seen whether or not we will lift our intake of humanitarian refugees for relocation to Australia. I urge all South Australians to make sure that we lobby our local members to make sure that we, Australia, play our part.