David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Vietnamese community in Banks know more about the power of freedom than anyone. Forty years ago they fled the evil of communism. Confronted by a criminal state, they made life-and-death journeys to protect their children. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, Australia welcomed these remarkable and brave people. All Australians value freedom, but Vietnamese Australians know in their hearts what it really means. They know that evil prospers in darkness and only the light of freedom enables us all to be our true and best selves.

This week we welcomed the Vietnamese Australian community to Canberra to celebrate 40 years of Vietnamese settlement in Australia. It was an occasion marked with happiness, as we celebrated the remarkable success of Vietnamese Australians such as South Australian Governor Hieu Van Le. But there was sadness in the room too, as we remembered the millions killed in the Vietnam War. We also remembered the many relatives of Vietnamese Australians still in Vietnam and the difficulties they face in their daily lives. This important event was organised by the leading organisation Vietnamese Community Australia. At the function I was honoured to receive a plaque from VCA acknowledging my support for the Vietnamese community. I thank the VCA for staging this event, and in particular Dr Thang Ha, the president of the VCA in New South Wales. I also thank Mr Davy Nguyen, the VCA vice president and a powerful advocate for the Vietnamese community.