Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia, also known as FECCA, is the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Last week I met with Mohammad Al-Khafaji, the federation's CEO. In Victoria, FECCA's members include the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District and Sunraysia Mallee Ethnic Communities Council.

FECCA's role is to advocate on issues that affect ethnic communities and promote the ongoing success story of multicultural Australia. FECCA strives to ensure that the needs and aspirations of Australians from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds are given proper recognition in public policy—something that is very close to my heart.

Mohammad spoke to me about the incredible work FECCA does in supporting the wonderful diversity of Australian communities. We spoke about the importance of uniting communities through a voice to parliament, something they are passionately advocating for. We also spoke about many different issues multicultural communities experience, particularly in health. We shared stories about the various challenges of operating in a western system and how this disproportionately impacts people from multicultural communities, particularly in spaces such as health and wellbeing. These are experiences of discrimination that aren't too unfamiliar for me, as a First Nations woman, and people from my community.

It is absolutely critical that parliament, the people's house, truly reflects the country—the people who elected us—because it is the people who have elected us to represent them. We must make sure we use our platform in this place to amplify the issues our multicultural communities care about and emphasise how important it is that these communities are reflected in the public domain. We cannot underestimate how powerful it is to see yourself reflected in this way in this place not as an afterthought but front and centre. (Time expired)