Grievance Debate

Greek Independence Day

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:14): As is well known, 25 March was the national day of Greece, celebrating Greek independence in 1821. My goodness, this year saw South Australia's Greek community celebrating, along with the rest of us, with gusto and in style over a significant extended period of time and, of course, all happening together with Festival Hellenika that has been now underway for some weeks.

I was delighted to go along, together with Minister Michaels, the Minister for Small Business among other things, to Echoes of Piraeus on Saturday night on 22 March. Piraeus, the port of Athens, of course, is the place that was home to so much of the traditional Greek music that we know so well. It was poignant that we were all gathering, together with a full Dunstan Playhouse, ahead of the national day, because celebrating the music of the port meant also reflecting on the coming from that port, and particularly the departing, of large numbers of Greek migrants to Australia over the course of the last century.

I was honoured to represent the Leader of the Opposition the following morning at the archdiocese's celebration, the doxology service at Bowden, ahead of the memorial and wreath laying that took place at the state memorial later that day. It was indeed a great honour to stand alongside so many community leaders on that day and to lay a wreath at the state memorial recognising those who were lost in the fight for freedom.

The national day itself was celebrated significantly by a reception hosted by the Consul General of Greece, the Hon. Dr Alexandra Theodoropoulou, who brought together the whole of the community on that evening for just a tremendous gathering, recognising the extraordinary spirit and dedication and commitment to freedom that the Greek people showed despite those awful years under the Turkish Ottoman rule.

I want to recognise Bishop Silouan, who was part of that celebration and was presiding, of course, at the doxology service of the archdiocese on the previous Sunday and participated not only in the wreath laying at the state memorial but also was front and centre at the parade ground after that service. Very happily we spent some time together and hearing from children who were singing and reciting those important memories in recognition of independence.

Just last Sunday, the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia gathered at the Cathedral of Archangels Michael and Gabriel to again commemorate and lay wreaths. I was honoured to do so, again on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, together with so many community leaders. I think the gatherings of the Greek community for this significant event, over this last more than a week, have shown just how truly core to our community the Greek story is in South Australia and, as we say, freedom or death, eleftheria i thanatos.

The Meadows intersection has been a sore point for the local community now for many years, and the government, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, promised to deliver much-needed safety and improvement, including the construction of a roundabout which he backed off from at the end of last year. He had his CE send a letter to the Mount Barker District Council, saying it was not funded.

Well, I am pleased to say, standing here today together with the community and the council, that we have got the government to reverse course. The government has indicated that it is funded now and that work will happen. At this stage, given the unreliable indications that the government has proven to make over time, we will believe it when we see it. But it must happen, and it must happen as a matter of priority.