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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-01 Daily Xml
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WALK TOGETHER

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (15:55): First, I would like to commend the Hon. John Dawkins on his comments about the winners of the Country Press SA awards. I was in Mount Gambier last week and The Border Watch was understandably very proud of winning the best newspaper for a circulation over 6,000. I would like to congratulate all the winners and acknowledge the Hon. John Dawkins' interest in these matters and in country affairs.

I also note that this weekend marks the Liberal Party Legislative Council preselections, and there are few things I want to say about that; however, I will not talk about it today. I rise today to speak about an upcoming event, Walk Together, to be held on 22 June in Adelaide and in many other locations in Australia.

This event is run by the organisation Welcome to Australia. Welcome to Australia is an important organisation founded in South Australia which seeks to foster a culture of compassion, generosity, diversity and a commitment to a fair go. Welcome to Australia began as a conversation between a number of individuals and not-for-profit organisations who believed there needed to be a positive voice in the public conversation around asylum seeking, refugees and multiculturalism that was not politically aligned or focused on policy but rather to encourage us to respect cultural diversity and treat all people with respect and dignity.

This year's Walk Together event takes place in cities and regional centres throughout Australia at 1pm on 22 June, which is the Saturday of Refugee Week. The theme for Walk Together 2013 is 'If we're all people, we're all equal.' The Adelaide event includes a walk which symbolises support for Australia becoming a more welcoming and generous place.

There will be events in all states and territories, in capital cities as well as major regional towns such as Newcastle and the Gold Coast. In Adelaide, the walk will be from Parliament House to Rundle Park. The walk will end with a festival celebrating our cultural diversity. In Adelaide this will begin with a welcome to country and include keynote speeches from refugees, service providers, Aboriginal Australians and migrants new and old. The event will also include live music and dance, art exhibitions, cultural handicraft stalls and food.

Last year's inaugural event was a great success, with in excess of 1,000 people marching to show support for newer Australians. Those taking part in the event included Premier Weatherill, the then opposition leader the member for Heysen, as well as other state and federal MPs.

The Hon. J.S. Lee: And me, yes?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Yes. Many of Welcome to Australia's ambassadors took part in last year's event and I am sure they will again this year. Ambassadors for Welcome to Australia come from right across the spectrum of Australian life and society including the media, entertainment, sports, music, politics, business, the community and social sectors. Recently I was honoured to join the Hon. Jing Lee as an ambassador for Welcome to Australia and I look forward to taking part in the event with the Hon. Jing Lee this June. If members and other people want further information about this event they can contact either the Hon. Jing Lee's office or me.

I congratulate Welcome to Australia for the work it does in general. In addition to creating a loud, public voice of positivity, Welcome to Australia provides services such as mentoring and seminars for new arrivals to the country. It also stages welcoming parties where clubs and schools invite migrants and their families to informal community gatherings. This helps to build stronger connections between local residents, creating stronger and more welcoming communities.

In particular, I want to congratulate the director of Welcome to Australia, Pastor Brad Chilcott, on receiving a community sector award at the Governor's multicultural awards for his work in founding the organisation. I note that Brad says that being recognised is rewarding for him, but he hopes it will mean that more people get involved and know refugees as he has. I congratulate all who have worked hard to make Welcome to Australia a successful organisation. It is making a great contribution to creating a more compassionate and generous society, and I encourage everyone who is able to make it to attend the Walk Together event on 22 June.

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