House debates

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Constituency Statements

Cowan Electorate: Vietnamese Community

9:54 am

Photo of Luke SimpkinsLuke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

On 28 January the Vietnamese community of Western Australia celebrated Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, at the Wanneroo showgrounds. With more than 3,000 Vietnamese people in the Cowan electorate I was honoured to join Premier Colin Barnett in addressing the attendees. This year, 2012, is the year of the dragon in the lunar calendar and those born in the year of the dragon have certain characteristics: hard work and a belief in themselves. In Australia, Vietnamese people are known for their hard work and their commitment to their families and to our nation. That is why so many have been very successful.

I am proud to work with the Vietnamese community association of WA and a number of Vietnamese people who very strongly support the cause of a democratic Vietnam. In my visits to Vietnam I have met many people who suffer under the brutality and autocratic controls of the Communist Party. As the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do told me, there is one policeman for every 10 people in Vietnam. Everyone is being watched and reported upon, and yet in that oppressive environment there are still those who resist and join protests. They protest the betrayal of the national interests of Vietnamese people by the Communist Party, the environmental damage done in the highlands by the Chinese bauxite mines, the sell-out on sovereignty of the Spratly and Paracel Islands, and the seizure of property of churches and individuals who will not bow down to the strict controls that the state imposes upon them.

There are many dragons among these protesters; they are fearless and show great courage that even the greatest dragon would be proud of. I believe that it is in this year, particularly because dragons are known as being democratic in their beliefs, that we should maintain and strongly support the democracy advocates, the land rights supporters and all those who believe in free speech and freedom of religion and a free Vietnam. I know that Vietnamese Australians believe in a better democratic future for their homeland and for their friends and relatives that remain in Vietnam.

The reality is that there are many who have given their freedom for a better Vietnam. And it is not just them, because when they are jailed or unable to work their families are subjected to poverty. As I have said on many occasions we live in a great country. We have a great democracy, which has enabled Vietnamese Australians to enjoy the success of their hard work. If the people of Vietnam could enjoy the same freedoms that we have, their homeland would be an economic power in South-East Asia and the people would thrive. In this, the year of the dragon, let us pray for and strongly support those brave men and women and their families in Vietnam who oppose tyranny and believe in the greatness of the Vietnamese people, in the way of the dragon, and in the value of democracy and prosperity.

I congratulate the new president of the Vietnamese community Dr Anh Nguyen, and I wish him, the committee and the Vietnamese community all the best for the year of the dragon.