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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-02 Daily Xml
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Nepal Delegation

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:50): It is a great privilege to rise today to speak about the South Australian delegation to Nepal. I was incredibly honoured and humbled to be the first South Australian member of parliament to lead such a delegation to Nepal. The Nepalese community in South Australia informed me that the economic and social conditions in Nepal have not fully recovered after the devastating earthquake in April 2015. Many travellers are still concerned about the safety and uncertainty in the affected areas of Nepal.

I asked them what I can do to best help the communities in need. They said if I can make a personal trip to Nepal that it would mean a lot to Nepal and the Nepalese community residing in South Australia. With the valuable advice from the community, I made a decision to embark on a study tour with the aim to help rebuild Nepal by visiting Nepal. I am very grateful that 12 delegates from various businesses and professional backgrounds were able to join me on the mission.

The passionate team consisted of the Honorary Consul of Nepal in South Australia, Dipak Dhamala, the Nepalese youth leader, Nabin Panth, Eddie Liew, Yean-nee Shortland, Rita Coleman, David and Roz Chow, Craig Swingler, Renee Figallo, Carissa McCarthy, together with my two lovely staff, Haley Welch and Grace Paterson, who joined the trip. With an age range that spans across six generations, with diverse backgrounds, everyone embraced the wonderful diversity. 'Unity in diversity' stood out as a brand to describe our team.

In just eight days our itinerary was jam-packed and we certainly covered lots of ground across Kathmandu, the nation's capital, Chitwan, known as the 'heart of the jungle', and Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal, and arguably the prettiest tourist attraction.

Being the very first trip for everyone, we honestly did not know what to expect. We discovered Nepal in a rather unique way that combined official meetings with political and business leaders, government officials, humanitarian visits to an orphanage and disadvantaged school by way of donating books, stationery and gifts to children, blankets to the homeless and also tourism exploration in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Pokhara.

Being in Nepal allowed us to experience firsthand how naturally beautiful the country is, a country that is full of friendly people, with a rich history and culture, remarkable and magnificent heritage sites, breathtaking scenery, including the natural wonders of the world, the Himalayan mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest peak of the world, and much, much more.

I would like to highlight some of the official meetings in Nepal. On the eve of Diwali, a Saturday night, never in a million years would anyone expect a high-level meeting like this to be arranged. Through the great efforts by Ms Lucky Sherpa, an influential former MP, we were given the privilege to have an up close and personal encounter with the highest ranking official in the country. It was truly a great honour to meet the Prime Minister of Nepal, the Rt Hon. Mr Pushpa Kamal Dahal. I place my sincere appreciation to the Prime Minister for welcoming all of us in such an honourable way.

Special thanks to the Hon. Rajeev Bikram Shah, a distinguished member of the Nepali parliament, for welcoming us at the airport. We also met his beautiful wife and family, his wonderful mother, who is the district governor of the Rotary Club there, where he generously hosted a magnificent dinner at his historical homestead. The Hon. Rajeev also invited a number of MPs for the dinner, including the Minister for Commerce, the Hon. Romy Gauchan Thakali.

I would like to acknowledge Dave Gordge, South Australian State Director of DFAT, for his interest in my Nepal delegation. Thank you to our Australian ambassador, Glenn White, for his insightful country briefing about Nepal. Special thanks also to Mr Gahendra Rajbhandari, Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal for his kind and generous assistance. The Nepal Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Hon. Mr Jeeban Bahadur Shahi, a very knowledgeable and delightful MP, hosted a wonderful cultural dinner program for us. He even danced with us on stage. The whole Nepal Tourism Board was fantastic. It was a great pleasure to meet Mr Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Mr Sunil Sharma, publicity director of the Nepal Tourism Board, and their lovely team.

I am proud to report in the Parliament of South Australia that the South Australian delegation to Nepal was an amazing, rewarding, meaningful and successful initiative. It provided us with a deeper appreciation of the beautiful places, culture and traditions of Nepal and created a platform for lifelong friendships and building bilateral relationships between South Australia and Nepal. For those who are thinking about travelling to Nepal, I can reassure you that Nepal is a safe country to visit. There is an old saying my parents always shared with me, and it goes like this: if you never, never go, you will never, never know. With that in mind, go forth, honourable members. Nepal is waiting for you!

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