LUNAR NEW YEAR

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:37): I am delighted to rise today to speak about Lunar New Year celebrations in Adelaide. Lunar New Year is the longest and most important festival amongst Chinese and Vietnamese families and communities. Vietnamese New Year, more commonly known as the Tĕt Festival, is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year. We are incredibly fortunate to be living in a multicultural society in South Australia where we share and embrace different cultures and traditions. Thanks to the many vibrant Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian communities across South Australia we continue to enjoy many wonderful Lunar New Year events over 15 days around this time.

I pay tribute to the number of Chinese and Vietnamese community organisations for keeping the Lunar New Year cultures and traditions alive to enrich the wonderful diversity of our state. Being a member of parliament with a proud Chinese heritage, as well as being the shadow parliamentary secretary for multicultural affairs, it is a great honour for me to attend many functions and personally convey my warmest Lunar New Year best wishes to members of our South Australian community.

While the first day of the Year of the Snake starts on 10 February 2013, the Vietnamese community of South Australia commenced the Lunar New Year celebration early this year on 2 February. Two events were held on the same night, hosted by the Vietnamese Farmers Association of South Australia and Vietnamese Community in Australia (SA Chapter). The Hon. David Ridgway and I attended the Vietnamese Farmers Association dinner, while the Leader of the Opposition, Steven Marshall, and the member for Adelaide, Rachel Sanderson, attended the Tĕt festival at Regency Park.

On 9 February the South Australian Zhu-Lin Buddhist Association hosted a wonderful New Year's Eve function at the Zhu-Lin Temple, with fireworks starting at midnight to farewell the Year of the Dragon and welcome the Year of the Snake. On 11 February the Hong Kong Australia Business Association organised a Chinese New Year cocktail function, and on 12 February two very important functions were organised by the Chinese Welfare Services of South Australia and the Overseas Chinese Association. On 15 February, the South Australian Wine Group and Ming's Palace restaurant hosted an Aussie Chinese New Year celebration, an outdoor event in the Barossa Valley, so it is spreading from Adelaide to the regions as well.

On 16 February, the Chinatown Adelaide 2013 Street Party was one of the biggest ever, because this time they had the Moonta Street Chinese New Year party during the day and it spread to Gouger Street as well at night-time, so there were thousands of people, with lots of entertainment throughout the day and night. On Sunday the Teo Chew Association of South Australia and the Hong Kong Grocery Centre hosted their dinner on the same night.

As you can see, it is quite a marathon of festivities and events. I have attended eight Lunar New Year functions so far and will be attending another five over the next week or so. Tonight I will attend the China Business Network of South Australia Chinese New Year cocktail party. ANZ will host their Chinese New Year tomorrow night, and on Saturday the Australian Chinese Medical Association and the Malaysia Club of South Australia will host their Chinese New Year dinners. On Sunday the South Australian Asian Golf Association will host theirs. On 28 February there will be probably the last function of the Chinese New Year, which is a Cultures of China, Festival of Spring performance brought from China. That will be held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

As we welcome the Year of the Snake, I am very pleased to learn that people born in the year of the snake are intelligent and wise. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve. Snakes are usually great mediators and good at doing business. According to fortune tellers, the Year of the Snake will be full of surprises and new opportunities as a snake moves rapidly in all directions. If you are a person who is flexible and adaptable, then you will do well in the Year of the Snake.

Out of all the signs it is the only animal that sheds its skin, so it is expected to be a year for new beginnings and transformation. I believe this is already well demonstrated by the excellent effective line-up of the new shadow cabinet by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Steven Marshall in the other place. On this very positive note, I wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year—Xin Nian Kwai Ler, Gong Hey Fatt Choy, chúc mù'ng năm mó'i.