Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The community that I serve in Werriwa in South West Sydney is a snapshot of modern Australia. People from all parts of the globe have chosen to settle, work and raise their families in our community. In the most recent census, we find that 66 per cent of households in the electorate of Werriwa use a language other than English at home. Of these, Arabic, Vietnamese, Hindi, Assyrian Neo-Aramaic and Spanish are the most common, and just over 68 per cent of Werriwa residents note that both parents were born overseas, compared to the national average of 36 per cent. In the decades from 2001 to 2020, almost 47,000 people arrived from overseas to call our community home. The world is reflected in the faces of the people who live in Werriwa.

Unfortunately, at the moment, the world is a very sad and distressing place. We see on our nightly news and in social media conflicts everywhere. We see the ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine, the devastation and displacement in Gaza and the West Bank, conflict and war in Sudan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Iraq and recently Iran and for our Kurdish community. Many in our community are devastated and haunted by what they see, particularly as most still have relatives and friends who are being subjected to the horrors every day. I know because I've listened to too many stories recounting in detail the distress and helplessness they feel. I met with leaders from the Australian Kurdish community this week. Their concern and distress is obvious not just in their words. Thank you to Councillor Mira Ibrahim, Councillor Ismet Tastan, Baran Sougt, Dilvan Bircan and Brusk Aiveri, the President of the Federation of Democratic Kurdish Society in Australia.

I also note the concerns and distress of those of our in our community of Islamic faith, who have been the subject of vile attacks on social media and in person. These attacks are often nauseating, and I'm not going to detail them here, but I know that the AFP and the NSW Police are aware and that investigations will continue. Too often, schools and places of worship in Werriwa are the subject of racist incidents which cause fear and distress. I am told that this has meant that many in our community are fearful to practise their faith at mosques around Werriwa. I unequivocally speak out against this behaviour. This is not the community or the Australia I know. We pride ourselves on being an egalitarian society where every single person has the right within the law to worship the god of their choice or not believe at all. I thank our Islamic community for their warmth and friendship towards my family and I. While there are so many names I could mention here, I note Ahmet Polat, Ismal and Recep Aydogan and the board of the Affinity Association, who have been working towards a harmonious community for several decades. I also note Omah Agha and Mazhar Hadid of the Australian Islamic House, Ayman Alwan from Al Amanah College and many, many more.

We are a society who respect each other. Overwhelmingly, this is true. Look at the number of people who volunteer or who run towards danger to help our fellow citizens. We've seen this time and time again this summer—rescuing people from rips and sharks, standing in front of bullets. The experiences are too many to mention, but they occur every day. If you are finding you are distressed or need further support, please consider seeking help from your GP or one of the Albanese government's new Medicare mental health facilities. The Medicare mental health facilities closest to our community are at 6 Dumaresq Street, Campbelltown, or 203 Northumberland Street, Liverpool. And if you're between 12 and 25, headspace at Edmondson Park is open for mental health support as well.

During the recent election, I was proud to stand with the Minister for Health and Aged Care to promise another Medicare mental health facility in Werriwa. I'm working with the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention to ensure this is delivered to our community in the next financial year so it provides further support. Also launched in January is the Medicare Mental Health phone line. You can call this to provide support and referrals: 1800595212. There will be someone that you will be connected to that can help. Lifeline and Beyond Blue are also available for further support.