Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This weekend I was delighted to join with many members of Fraser's Vietnamese community to celebrate the 10th birthday of Australian Vietnamese Arts. The AVA is actually 11 years old but its 10th birthday was postponed due to COVID last year. The AVA was formed in 2010 by Brimbank councillor Thuy Dang, who has dedicated a huge amount of time to that organisation over the last decade. It brings together people from across the Fraser community to celebrate Vietnamese culture and to perform traditional and modern music and dance. The AVA has become an essential part of the fabric of Fraser's diverse and dynamic multicultural community. The group's performances have graced important local festivals and events such as the Lunar New Year and lantern festivals. It is always a pleasure to witness the beauty and deeply symbolic performances of the AVA artists. It was also a privilege to present the award for the AVA member of the year to Thoa Tran. Thoa was recognised for her extraordinary efforts helping others during the pandemic, which hit Fraser so hard last year, helping to manufacture and procure hundreds of pieces of vital PPE equipment.

The AVA's commitment to the Fraser community is exemplified by its role as a provider of Good Shepherd No Interest Loans or NILs. The NILs program provides individuals and families on low incomes with access to safe, fair and affordable credit. These no interest loans enable families to buy essential goods and services such as fridges, washing machines, car repairs and medical procedures for up to $1,500. I know how valuable this is for many families in my electorate, particularly given the alternatives offer such high interest rates. And I know how this government's plans to rip up responsible lending laws would cause so much harm for the people who rely on NILs.

I also acknowledge the outstanding work of Volunteer West, which provides empowering and engaging opportunities for residents of Fraser and Melbourne's broader west to volunteer their time, energies, passions and skills in worthwhile projects. A number of volunteering organisations, including the AVA, were present at the 10th birthday celebrations of the AVA last Friday night. Volunteer West recently launched VolConnect, a valuable new volunteer-to-job program enabled by $1 million in funding from the Victorian government's Working for Victoria initiative. This will help more people in Fraser and Melbourne's west to move into enduring paid work. As Volunteer West CEO Thu-Trang Tran said at the launch of VolConnect: 'volunteering is an act of social and economic participation that forges connections for social cohesion and economic prosperity'. Thanks to Volunteer West for all that you do to improve that cohesion and prosperity in Fraser and in Melbourne's broader west.