Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome this opportunity to speak about a very good organisation within Western Australia, the Organisation of African Communities of Western Australia. On Saturday night I attended the OAC WA's function in conjunction with AfroPacific Connect. It was to celebrate the Africa Day celebration and World Refugee Day, and it was held at Gloucester Park. The OAC came to me several months ago. The aim of the organisation is to provide a platform on which Africans from diverse backgrounds and countries living in Western Australia can present economic, social, political and cultural issues of concern to the community and work collaboratively to find a lasting solution.

Western Australia is blessed by having many people of African origin who have made great contributions. They have made contributions in social areas, in cultural areas and certainly in the religious area. A great example is the Flaming Bible Church in Malaga—a very positive organisation that have their own building and have done a lot of work to establish their ministry in the local community, and that draws people from a range of different countries.

Regarding the OAC and function I attended, the keynote speaker was the Hon. Dr Mike Nahan, the Treasurer and Minister for Energy, Citizenship and Multicultural Interests. It was a very good event. It was a well-attended event. I could see that this is an organisation that is determined to achieve for former refugees and migrants from Africa. I pay tribute to the executive management board that includes: the very well-known Joe Tuzama, the president, from Liberia; Constance Dewan, the vice president, from Zambia; Timothy Ayam, the assistant treasurer also acting secretary, from Nigeria; Henrico Mafuamkadi, the treasurer; Chingala Mayawa, assistant treasurer, from Zambia; Theo Habariman, the public relations officer, from Rwanda; Paul Odongo, the event coordinator, from Kenya; Ann Kibiku, the director for communications, from Kenya; Ibrahim Kebe, the youth leader ,from Sierra Leone; Isaac Barrister Mpere, the youth secretary, from Ghana; Viola Laki Wani, the youth liaison officer, from South Sudan; Magdi Suliman, the sport events coordinator, from Sudan; and Casta Tungaradza, the chief patron, from Tanzania.

They also have an elders/advisory council, consisting of: Caroline Gumede from South Africa, Pastor Earnest Nnadigwe from Nigeria, John Mwiragua from Kenya, Peters Ebekwe from Nigeria, Umile Gwakuba from Botswana, Sorie Bangura from Sierra Leone and Peter Make Panther Jokngeth from South Sudan.

From these names and their places of origin, it really does say something about the way that people from nations in Africa have sought to come to Australia and embraced the opportunities in this country. It is an amazing list of people. I have great confidence that the OAC will do great work for people who have originally come from Africa. They are determined to be great Australians and great citizens. As some in the past have told me, they want to bring the good stuff from Africa and leave the bad stuff behind. I certainly saw from the work that they did at their celebration last Saturday night that they have achieved great things. They are a very positive organisation.

I also briefly mention Inspector Don Emanuel-Smith of the WA Police. He has been a great aid to the OAC and the African community. As the local MP, I thank him.