Julie-Ann Campbell (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

'Xinnian kuaile', 'kung hei fat choy', 'happy new year'; that is what people from across the Brisbane southside electorate of Moreton are already saying to each other in the lead-up to Lunar New Year—and not just in Moreton but across this country and across the globe. For Australians of Chinese heritage, Vietnamese heritage and Korean heritage, and, indeed, all Australians, we are about to have a very special celebration.

I have such incredibly fond memories of celebrating Lunar New Year: hearing the clinking and vibration on the table of mahjong tiles as I crouched underneath; saying 'happy new year' to every single adult so I could collect my well-earned red packet. Mostly, I remember being around family and friends and that everyone was invited.

Lunar New Year is more than a celebration of food, although the food is fantastic. It is more than a celebration of colour and movement and vibrancy, although that's fantastic too. It is a celebration of something so very inherently Australian—of bringing people together, of sharing between community and of standing up when it counts, which is what we need now more than ever. Whether you're celebrating on the Sunnybank rooftop at the landmark restaurant or in your home, happy Year of the Horse.

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