House debates

Monday, 15 March 2010

Statements by Members

Armenian-Australian Community: Mr Arshag Badelian

6:46 pm

Photo of Paul FletcherPaul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise today to mark the passing of Mr Arshag Badelian, who was one of the Armenian-Australian community’s last living survivors of the Armenian genocide. Having arrived in Australia in 1980, he died just a couple of weeks ago, aged 100. The Armenian-Australian community is an important part of the fabric of Australian society across our nation and particularly on the north shore of Sydney, including in my electorate of Bradfield. One of the roles the community plays which is very important is to constantly remind Australian society more generally of the tragedy of the Armenian genocide in 1915. The community and its leaders work tirelessly to ensure that this genocide is not forgotten. It may perhaps be less well known in the community than the Holocaust, which affected the Jewish people, but it is just as shocking an example of human evil. So I consider it fitting that the House note the passing of Mr Badelian, who has made a significant contribution to the Armenian community and to Australia. I take this opportunity on behalf of the federal parliament to pay tribute to him and to acknowledge the important role of the Armenian community as part of the fabric of Australian society.