John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is always a pleasure to speak on motions like this, and I thank my friend the member for Moreton for raising it. It is my great honour to represent Bennelong, the most multicultural electorate in the country. It is home to people from around the world—Chinese, Koreans, Italians, Armenians, Indians, Persians and many, many more. Our suburbs show off this vibrant mix. Eastwood is full of restaurants from across East Asia, and every Wednesday morning the mall is filled with the relaxing movements and music of dozens of people doing tai chi.

Italians first moved to Ryde a few generations ago and, in that time, have stamped their identity on the architecture, the businesses and the schools. Armenians have been coming to the area since common bonds were shared in the aftermath of tragedy in the First World War and have subsequently blossomed. Two of our local councillors come from Armenian stock and the Premier of New South Wales herself grew up locally with her Armenian family.

These unique ethnicities do not live in their own bubble—we all work together, celebrate together and live together. The Lunar New Year celebrations are embraced by both Chinese and Koreans alike and also by tens of thousands of people from across all of Sydney who come to watch the energetic and engaging festivities. Similarly, this May our Indian community will join with the Pakistanis, the Sri Lankans, the Bangladeshis, the Nepalese and Afghanis as they host the inaugural SAFAL Fest, the South Asian Film, Arts and Literature Festival, at Macquarie University. I am particularly proud of this event. It has been put on with the help of funding from the federal government, who contributed some $3,000.

One of my most successful initiatives locally has been the Bennelong Cup. Early in my time as an MP, I visited a local school and saw a high percentage of students from Asian backgrounds. I noticed that there was a divide in the playground between the European and the Asian students. I know personally that nothing fosters relationships like playing sports together, so I instituted the Bennelong Cup schools table tennis initiative, together with help from Hyundai, Andrew Hill of STARStv and the leader of the Australian Asian Association of Bennelong, Hugh Lee. We put table tennis tables in over 40 schools across the electorate and hosted a competition between all of them. The event continues to be a great success. Fast-forward to today, and the Bennelong Cup has just hosted its sixth annual competition, alongside a test match played by teams from eight nations. But the highlight is always the schools competition. Seeing a gymnasium filled with students from all backgrounds competing, playing, laughing and making friends with each other is the true success of this initiative. It is multiculturalism at work, fostering relationships—attitudes that will serve these students well throughout their lives.

While Bennelong shows multiculturalism's success in microcosm, it is also true to say that Australia is the most successful multicultural society in the world. Our achievements as a nation can be attributed to the contributions of more than 300 different ancestries, from the First Australians to the newest arrivals. Almost half of our current population either were born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas. Australia has a rich history of migrants contributing to our social and economic fabric. Over time, the coming together of many peoples has helped build our infrastructure, enliven our communities, enhance our cultural experiences, increase opportunities and, most significantly, expand the way we engage with the world. Only together, through shared values, rights and responsibilities, have we built this modern and prosperous Australia. Our values unite us. They are based on respect, equality and freedom. We recognise the importance of integration, mutual respect and mutual responsibility, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from our prosperity.

Thank you again, member for Moreton. I wholeheartedly agree with every line of your motion. Our community's strength is in its diversity. I am immensely proud of Bennelong, the diverse heritage of local residents and, most importantly, the harmonious way in which we have all integrated with each other. We have taken the best of each culture and grown into a unique and exciting community. This fusion makes this area of Sydney great and it is what makes me so proud to be its MP.

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