Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week is Refugee Week, and I would like to use this opportunity to recognise the contribution of refugees in my electorate and across the nation. Many of them have fled horrendous environments, often facing immediate threats to their lives and those of their families. As the representative of the most multicultural electorate in Australia, I am constantly amazed at the resilience of many refugees that I meet, and also at their drive and their determination to create better lives for themselves and their families here in Australia.

The majority of refugees living in my electorate came to Australia following the fall of Saigon 40 years ago this year. Vietnamese refugees were often referred to as our first boat people. In the decades that followed, they have become an integral part of Australian society but have always maintained their proud Vietnamese heritage.

One of the most prominent organisations in my electorate is the Vietnamese Community in Australia, VCA. Since its inception almost 40 years ago, VCA's New South Wales chapter has grown into one of the most significant not-for-profit organisations in south-west Sydney. I have had the opportunity of working very closely with its president, Dr Thang Ha, and his board and have seen first-hand the VCA's efforts to support the community and ensure that the most vulnerable members of the community are not left behind.

Due to the high concentration of refugees and newly arrived immigrants, especially from South-East Asia, my electorate is home to the first Buddhist highschool in Australia, the Pal Buddhist School. A friend of mine Andrew, Giang Nguyen, is the school's accountant and is a former Vietnamese refugee himself, while the school's principal, Panha Pal, is a refugee from Cambodia.

The Cambodian refugee story is particularly compelling given their escape from the murderous regime of Pol Pot over 30 years ago. I have had the opportunity to hear many stories over the years, not only of their struggle to survive and their determination to escape such regimes but their drive to contribute to the Australian society. One of the most interesting stories comes from a young woman Lina Tjoeng, who, after escaping the Pol Pot regime, came to Australia, studied, became a local solicitor and is now the President of the Khmer Community of New South Wales.

More recently, Australia has seen a large number of refugees from the Middle East, fleeing the atrocities in Iraq and Syria, arriving in Australia and setting up home here. These refugees are particularly blessed compared to those left behind. Late last year, together with the member for Berowra, I had the opportunity of seeing first-hand the conditions in refugee camps across the Middle East. We visited Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. We know for a fact that those countries are carrying a huge humanitarian load, hosting the majority of refugees fleeing the violence.

During our visit to the camps in these countries, we were told how the camps were established to accommodate a much smaller anticipated number of refugees but only for a period of three months as that was how long the conflict was expected to last. As the conflict continues with no end in sight, these host countries are truly struggling. Children lucky enough to reach a camp were trying to study while sitting on an earthen floor in tent classrooms. There is not much in the way of hope in those camps.

Refugees who have been settled in Australia have made an enormous contribution to this country. Apart from contributing to the professions, to business and to our economy, they have set up religious, educational and cultural organisations that support the settlement of new arrivals. I have had the opportunity to visit a large number of these institutions, particularly in the Liverpool and Fairfield area, and I am impressed with the focus they have in shaping the younger generation to be more productive members of Australian society while maintaining their connection with the culture and traditions of their homeland.

I praise the efforts of refugees in my community and across the nation. They contribute very positively to the rich tapestry of our multicultural community, and in south-west Sydney we are particularly proud to be considered the most diverse community in the country.