Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian sense of humour is unique. It has come to be part of the Australian fabric. January in Australia wouldn't be the same without the lamb ad, the traditional Australian advertisement for Meat & Livestock Australia. A small group of people complained and moaned about it, but the vast majority of Australians loved it—as we love our lamb. If I had to say what is one key thing I love about my role as the member for Chisholm, I would say, unequivocally, that it's the diversity of its people, overlaid with the great, unique Aussie sense of humour in this our free country.

With diversity comes a richness and vibrancy that is something to be treasured and celebrated. Australia Day is a traditional day for all Australians, especially given that one of the things we subliminally celebrate is our freedom to enjoy our cultures, traditions and a mix or merge of them. What I object to, vehemently, is how Labor and the Greens seek to apply negativity to anything that is positive. In my humble beginnings of immigrant heritage, I grew up in a family that didn't have much but that lived with optimism and faith in this country. And so do those in my electorate, whether they are of Malaysian, British, Chinese, Indian, Korean, Greek or Italian heritage.

Any advanced democracy would have positive and negative elements in their story. The complexity and tragedy of our Indigenous past and the mistreatment of Indigenous Australians should be recognised by everyone. But Australia Day is not and should not be about being political and picking a side—and the negative side—as Labor and the Greens now constantly do.

One of my greatest joys is attending citizenship ceremonies. My first Australia Day citizenship ceremony as the member for Chisholm was this year. I looked at the sea of proud, happy and excited faces from all over the world. In these faces, I saw the same optimism and faith that my family, who didn't have much, and that many families of immigrant heritage have enjoyed over the years. Their faces changed when the Greens politician who spoke said it would be 'remiss of her' not to mention that this was really invasion day. She took it upon herself to make it negative, politicise it and ruin the celebratory positive vibe and moment for these future citizens of our country. I'm told that, on the same day, the Leader of the Opposition sought to politicise and instil a negative tone in his speech on Australia Day. This is what the Greens and those on the other side seek to do: to make anything positive negative.

Although I have the honour of attending many citizenship ceremonies now, the most special for me was my husband's ceremony on Australia Day in the late nineties. Our children were toddlers, and my mum and late father were there. My father said to my kids, 'Your daddy is doing what I did in the same town hall in 1958. He's become an Aussie.' We went home and we had a barbie, ate mum's spanakopita, some lamb and some lamingtons that my kids helped me bake. Thank you.