Madam Speaker, in preparation for addressing this bill, the Canberra Liberals have consulted widely with diverse religious communities across our territory. In doing so, we have spoken to both recognised faith leaders and everyday followers. We confirmed with members of the Muslim and Jewish faiths that cremation is not a part of either tradition. We also consulted representatives from Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities. We likewise discussed this matter with the Suk

Thank you, Madam Speaker. On many occasions, I have spoken about the importance of maintaining and preserving culture. Research on this point is very clear: people who have a strong sense of identity and a connection with their heritage tend to be more resilient. I have also spoken on many occasions about the importance of strong community networks. Belonging to a vibrant, supportive community provides both children and adults with security, stability and an important sense o

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank Mr Parton for his words earlier. As he has made clear, supporting this bill requires trusting the Barr Government, and the simple reality, Madam Speaker, is that fewer and fewer Canberrans have that level of trust in this government. In many ways, this seems only fair since this bill makes it equally clear how little trust those opposite have in the people of Canberra. For decades, Madam Speaker, community concessional land has been avail

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Those in Canberra’s Napalese community are warm, kind, intelligent and passionate people. This past Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the Australia Nepal Friendship Society’s 2019 Dashain Night. This event supported was by the Canberra Nepalese Football Club, the Canberra Nepalese Cricket Team, the Canberra Nepalese Volleyball Club and Non-Resident Nepali Association of the ACT and Queanbeyan. Dashain is the longest and most auspicious Hindu fe

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank Mr Parton for his words earlier. As he has made clear, supporting this bill requires trusting the Barr Government, and the simple reality, Madam Speaker, is that fewer and fewer Canberrans have that level of trust in this government. In many ways, this seems only fair since this bill makes it equally clear how little trust those opposite have in the people of Canberra. For decades, Madam Speaker, community concessional land has been avail

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank Mr Gupta and Ms Orr for bringing this motion before the Assembly today. This motion addresses issues that I have been raising since becoming a member of this Assembly, and I am happy to see the opposite side of the Chamber recognise and begin to address these issues. The first serious opportunity I had to question this government regarding multicultural matters was during the 2015–16 annual reports hearings. I asked the then minister abou

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My good friend Kanti Jinna likes to share a legend regarding the arrival of Zoroastrian migrants in India. Experiencing religious persecution in their homelands, they determined to find somewhere they could practise their faith in peace. They had heard of a certain king named Jadi Rana who ruled in what is now the Indian state of Gujarat, and specifically that he was a fair and just man. According to the legend, when the migrants from Persia arrived

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yesterday was Independence Day for Vanuatu – Australia’s neighbour on the other side of the Coral Sea. As is the case with many Pacific Islands nations, Vanuatu has close historical links to this country. The New Hebrides [HEB – ri – deez] group of islands, as it was then called, was one of the major sources for workers brought into Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century to provide cheap labour on Australian plantations. It is estimat

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Canberra is a city with four distinct seasons. This past weekend marked the formal transition from autumn to winter, which made it the ideal time for the Canberra Japan Club to hold their Autumn Festival, called Aki Matsuri in Japanese. I rise today to publicly thank club president Naoko Lamb for generously inviting me to take part in this wonderful event. In Japan, an Aki Matsuri traditionally took place after the rice harvest to thank the gods for

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I thank Mr Petterson for bringing this matter of public importance before the Assembly today. On many prior occasions, Madam Speaker, I have stood in this chamber to speak on behalf of tolerance and inclusion, and I am pleased to do so again now. As I noted in my remarks during the adjournment debate two days ago, each of us has a role to play in promoting tolerance in our communities, both small and large. We can each begin by promoting love and