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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-07 Daily Xml
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REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon) (14:15): Can the Premier tell the house about the recent state visit to South Australia of His Excellency Mr Demetris Christofias, President of the Republic of Cyprus?

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:15): I am pleased that the honourable member has raised this issue. I know that he has been a passionate supporter of the calls of justice for Cyprus for many years. On Thursday 26 May 2011, I was delighted to welcome to Adelaide His Excellency Mr Demetris Christofias, President of the Republic of Cyprus, with Mrs Christofia, the First Lady.

His Excellency last visited Adelaide six years ago when he came as president of the parliament of Cyprus. On this occasion I welcomed him back as the leader of the one legitimate government of Cyprus, as recognised by South Australia, the Commonwealth of Australia, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the European Union.

On arrival, President Christofias and Mrs Christofia attended a lunch hosted by His Excellency the Governor, and I understand this was a very important opportunity for the President to meet local members of the Cypriot and Greek communities and members of parliament. It was an opportunity to hear about the work of the President in trying to resolve a serious international injustice and ongoing breach of United Nations resolutions. I understand that the Leader of the Opposition also attended this function, and her comments leaving the lunch were reported to me and members of the Greek and Cypriot community.

In the evening, together with the President of the Cyprus Community of South Australia, I hosted a reception in their honour for members of the Cyprus community of South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Disgraceful. In the evening, together with the President of the Cyprus Community of South Australia, I hosted a reception in their honour for members of the Cyprus community of South Australia. Despite the physical distance that separates us, a special bond has united South Australia and Cyprus for many decades. It is a relationship cultivated by our former premier Don Dunstan.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Leader of the Opposition seems very angry today. I understand that she was rolled last night in the party room over Adelaide Oval. It is quite clear—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: It is interesting that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —the Leader of the Opposition was rolled by the former leader of the opposition who still has the field marshal's baton in his knapsack. I congratulate the member—

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, Madam Speaker: 98, debate, digressing, not answering the question.

The SPEAKER: I understand that the opposition is very sensitive about this but I direct the Premier back to the substance of the debate.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Don Dunstan, as the member for Norwood, visited Cyprus in 1957 when the struggle for independence from colonial rule was finding voice. He visited Nicosia when Cyprus was in flames. He subsequently put the struggles of Cyprus on the political agenda here in South Australia and nationally. I have been proud to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —continue his commitment to the Cypriot cause, and certainly on this side of the house there are many who have joined me—a cause that sought independence, then sovereignty, and now justice and reunification.

I have witnessed the injustice and suffering imposed on families on a number of visits that I have made to Cyprus. I have seen the walls of division. It is the last remaining wall. We saw the Berlin Wall torn down, we saw the end of apartheid, but an ugly scar divides the island of Cyprus. I travelled to the UN buffer zone, as well as peered over the fence to the once glorious town of Famagusta. I have met with courageous Cypriot leaders, including on my most recent visit several years ago President Christofias, as well as his predecessor as president, the late Tassos Papadopoulos.

I know that my preparedness to speak out nationally and internationally on this issue has certainly earned the ire and sometimes the condemnation of Turkish authorities and the illegal regime in northern Cyprus. However, we, on this side of the house, will continue to provide strong support in the pursuit of a reunited, bizonal and bicommunal federation with full restitution and right of return for all refugees.

Indeed, our state government has supported 14 Greek-Cypriot South Australian families who lost their homes to the Turkish occupation to take their cases for compensation to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and are the only government outside the Republic of Cyprus, as far as I am aware, to have supported Greek-Cypriot refugees in this way. Since the election of President Christofias in 2008, he has worked tirelessly to eradicate the scar of the no-man's-land that divides his beautiful island. He has vindicated the faith shown by the people of Cyprus in his preparedness to bring about the reunification of his homeland. I know he has been working with Alexander Downer, who is the United Nations special representative in this cause of reunification.

The President's ability to engage the previous leader of the illegal regime in negotiations delivered significant outcomes that in turn raised genuine hopes of a bilateral agreement. Here in Australia and throughout the broader international community, we admire President Christofias's unswerving belief that there is only one Cypriot home, and that is a united Cyprus, not a divided one. Even if, as it seems, the Turkish-Cypriot leadership will not listen, the Turkish-Cypriot people apparently will. No-one in this cause has ever said anything against the Turkish-Cypriot people or, indeed, the people of Turkey; we are talking about their governments.

I have observed with interest the recent demonstrations that show that Turkish Cypriots are tired of their leadership dragging its heels and making unrealistic demands outside of the framework for dialogue and the United Nations resolution parameters. They raged against oppression, occupation and colonisation by Turkish settlers, and demonstrated for human rights, for working rights and to preserve their identity as Cypriots.

I think it is really important to send a clear message to Turkish Cypriots that we here in South Australia hear their calls. They want to join in the European community of nations, and President Christofias, along with the people he inspires, is showing them the way. He encourages all Cypriots to embrace and experience the benefits that can be derived from cooperation across the existing divide. He often speaks of his vision for the future of Cyprus as home to the 'peaceful coexistence, the common creativity and the prosperity of Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, the Maronites, the Armenians and the Latins'.

We here in South Australia applaud President Christofias's commitment and his vision and we pledge our continued support as he strives to achieve that goal. All I can say is I deplore those hypocrites who pretend they support the cause and then say something else behind their backs.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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