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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-25 Daily Xml
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LIGHT ELECTORATE, COMMUNITY EVENTS

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (16:11): Today I wish to speak about a couple of events which have taken place in my electorate and which reflect the diversity of the community I represent and also the harmony that exists in my electorate.

The first matter I would like to bring to the attention of the house was held on 1 March: the Gawler 2009 International Women's Day event. It was organised by a group of local women under the leadership of Jill Talbot, a tireless community worker, and was officially opened by the Hon. Gail Gago MP. The first event was a debate between three school-aged young women and three local women on the topic 'Gawler Embraces Diversity'. It was a very interesting debate and the young women from the schools handled the debate very well. They took a different approach to the issue of diversity beyond what we normally see as cultural differences. Another part of the event was a talk by Mrs Anne Beadell. Mrs Beadell is the widow of—

Ms Breuer: A wonderful woman.

Mr PICCOLO: Yes. That was the first time I had met her, and she had an incredible story to tell. Her late husband was probably one of the last true explorers in this state. She spoke about her experiences as a newly arrived person to Australia and a young mother who went through the Outback. It certainly was an interesting talk.

The day was obviously about celebrating women in our community. The event was supported by my office and also the Hon. John Dawkins MLC, the Zonta Club of Gawler, the Girl Guides, the South Australian Country Women's Association, the federal member for Wakefield, Nick Champion, and a list of other local businesses and community groups. This event was started some years ago by the Town of Gawler when I was mayor, and it continues to this day.

The other event that I would like to bring to the attention of the house is national Harmony Day. The Living in Harmony program is an Australian government initiative, which is designed to encourage all Australians to contribute to and build upon Australian social cohesion. The program, which started in 1998, is designed to promote certain values: respect, participation, a sense of belonging and Australian values.

As most people would be aware, Australia is a nation built on immigration. As a nation, we have a proud history of welcoming people from around the world. Since 1945, more than 6½ million migrants have come to Australia. Over 300 languages, including indigenous languages, are spoken in Australia, and there are people who identify with 200 different ancestries and practise a range of religions and faiths.

To celebrate this day, the town of Gawler put on a 'Walk in Harmony' event in Gawler last week, which was extremely well attended. I congratulate the council for this event and I also acknowledge some of the key individuals involved. The following are officers and volunteers of the council: Jodie Grantham, Donna Aldridge, Sheila Willox, Vesna Thon, David Tredrea, Colleen Moyne, Kathy Coombes, Bev Brooker and volunteers from the Gawler Visitor Resource Centre.

Mr Bignell interjecting:

Mr PICCOLO: I am glad the member for Mawson is taking an interest in my speech today. I also acknowledge Evanston Gardens Primary School which held a harmony event on Monday and which I attended. I was able to cut the harmony cake and share it with students. Again under the leadership of Mike Sims (the new principal), the school is trying to promote values. I did ask the students what harmony day meant. I am able to advise the house that their answers were in line with the values which are designed to be promoted on Harmony Day, that is, mutual respect, etc. As I said, I wanted to bring to the attention of this house some key events in my electorate and also to acknowledge the contribution of some people in the electorate to make Gawler a better place.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Madam Deputy Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the house.

A quorum having been formed:

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