Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Newcastle is a community that is welcoming and diverse, and as the member for Newcastle, it is something that I am incredibly proud of. On Saturday I had the honour of joining with 1,500 fellow Novocastrians at a Welcome to Australia event to remind everyone that Newcastle is indeed a welcoming place for all people.

Thousands of Australians joined in Walk Together events across the country from Adelaide, Melbourne, Whyalla and Sydney, to Darwin, Perth, Rockhampton and Hobart. We united to remind each other that no matter who you are or how you arrived here, we share the same dreams of safety, peace, opportunity, belonging and a better future for our children.

By welcoming new arrivals and helping them to pursue their dreams, our country, our culture and our economy are deeply enriched. One of the marks of a free and democratic society is having tolerance, understanding and acceptance of one another. It is the job of governments to nurture this sense of fairness and indeed make our nation even greater, and that is something that I am deeply committed to. Like those who walked together on Saturday, I want an Australia that recognises the equality and dignity of all people no matter who you are, where you come from or how you arrived here and that extends our values of fairness and friendship to everyone. Walking together reminds us that Australia is at our very best when we celebrate our diversity, when people of first nations, asylum seekers, refugees, international students, skilled migrants and every other human being are able to experience the joy and security of belonging.