Daniel Mulino
Fraser · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“Second, the amendments introduce a mechanism for merger parties to seek extensions from the ACCC for the period in which they can put an approved acquisition into effect. The extensions can be up to six months each. Multiple extensions may be granted.”
“The reforms complement a broader suite of government reforms to strengthen integrity and accountability across the tax system and professional services sector.”
“The bill also establishes criminal and civil penalties and provides information gathering and enforcement powers to regulators to support compliance. Together, these powers create a coherent framework to support the continued availability and long-term viability of cash as a means of payment in Australia.”
“These amendments also reflect the government's commitment to listening and responding to stakeholder experiences to ensure the merger regime continues to promote competition and economic activity in the interests of Australians.”
“The second enables the ACCC to oversee designated entities, including fair and efficient pricing of cash distribution services, which is essential to maintaining access to cash. ACCC oversight will support fair, transparent and reasonable pricing outcomes, while helping maintain the long-term economic viability of the sector.”
“It also enables up to $400 million in funding support to ensure the continuity of critical cash distribution services. Funding support is intended as a last resort, limited to situations where an entity's resources and recovery tools are insufficient to address losses or threats to cash availability.”
The complete record
Every one of 412 lines we hold for Daniel Mulino, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 9.
“I move: Excise Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2025; and Customs Tariff Proposal (No. 1) 2025. The proposals that I have tabled propose amendments to the Excise Tariff Act 1921 to pause biannual indexation on draft beer excise and to amend the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to pause biannual indexation on the customs duty that applies to those goods where they are imported into Australia. The government committed to these measures in the 2025-26 budget to take pressure off the price of a beer poured in pubs, clubs and other venues, supporting businesses, regional tourism and customers across Australia. The proposals pause biannual indexation applying to the excise and customs duty on draft beer for two years starting 1 August 2025. Biannual indexation will then recommence from 1 August 2027. Debate adjourned.”
“This includes a focus on sustainable cash distribution and ensuring Australians can use cash to pay for essentials if they want or need to. This bill will help prevent the loss of banking services in the Pacific, which is vital to the security and economic development of our region. But it won't solve the challenge overnight. We'll continue to work with the banks and our international partners to address this issue; to make our region safer and more stable; to make sure loved ones, families and communities can continue to access their money; and to build a better future for the people of the Pacific. Full details of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum. Debate adjourned.”
“Because of our efforts, all major banks now have a moratorium on branch closures in regional Australia for two and a half years. And we've helped secure a number of new agreements to shore up the vital services provided by Bank@Post. We are standing up for regional Australians, helping to secure the banking services they need and deserve. More than banking, this is about keeping regional communities, that contribute so much to our national economy, connected and thriving. Banks have a responsibility to regional communities and we're holding them to it. We will continue to work with regulators, industry and communities to ensure our regions have access to fit-for-purpose and sustainable banking services over the long term.”
“This legislation is just one part of the substantial progress we've already made to secure the future of banking services in the region. Working with the Commonwealth Bank to establish banking operations in Nauru this year. Working with ANZ and Westpac to secure their continued presence in the Pacific. Working with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to develop digital identity infrastructure and improve compliance with regulations. And funding our Attorney-General's Department to help build capacity in Pacific countries, to strengthen protections from financial crime and build trust in the system. We've been able to make all this progress at the same time as also securing access to banking services around Australia.”
“That marked the first time an Australian treasurer had travelled to the Pacific to attend that forum in almost two decades. It's also the challenge this bill helps tackle. This legislation allows the Commonwealth to use its balance sheet to support Australian banks to maintain their Pacific operations. It will enable the Commonwealth to guarantee an Australian bank's business in the Pacific—either directly or through its subsidiaries—against the unlikely possibility of a default in the region, which may force them to shut their operations. Eligible Australian banks will pay a fee to the Commonwealth for the guarantee, it is not a subsidy. It is highly unlikely this guarantee will be needed. But it is still an important and necessary change to make sure that our Pacific family can continue to bank with confidence.”
“I pay tribute to the work of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign minister, trade minister and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs. When it comes to banking in the Pacific, the challenges in front of us are clear, and confronting. We know the Pacific has seen the fastest withdrawal of correspondent banking services of any region in the world. We know these vital services help communities access foreign currencies and international payment systems. And we also know that without them, large parts of the Pacific risk being cut off from the global financial system. At stake here is the ability of the Pacific to engage with the world. This pressing challenge was one of the main topics discussed with counterparts at the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting last year.”
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today I am proud to reintroduce the Pacific Banking Guarantee Bill 2025. This bill will help secure access to banking services across the Pacific. It will help ensure our entire region can stay connected to the global financial system. Australia's relationship with the Pacific is a special one. Since coming to office, the Albanese Labor government has been working hard to be a partner of choice with the entire region. We've been restoring trust and rebuilding relationships. Within our first 12 months in office, Albanese government ministers visited every Pacific Islands Forum member country. To renew our Pacific partnerships, listen to Pacific priorities and deliver on our collective interests. We've been making record investments, and we are the region's largest development partner.”
“This is something which will only affect funds with a total amount of investments within those funds which are significantly higher than that which is required for a dignified retirement, that are significantly higher than the amount that was required for the intended purpose of this policy, going back to its original intent. Can I just reiterate that this is a policy that will see concessional tax treatment for all funds—the amount up to $3 million and the amount above $3 million—all of the earnings, be treated concessionally. This is something which is very balanced, very fair and very reasonable.”
“I thank the honourable member for the question. What I can confirm is that the total number of members who will be affected, as the Treasurer has confirmed, is roughly in the order of 80,000. I think when it comes to drilling down into smaller categories than that, it is difficult to ascribe a particular number to particular types of business. What I can say is that the overall number of funds affected by this is in the order of half a per cent, across both defined contribution and defined benefit, across the entire category of all members. That's a very small fraction. It's a very targeted and measured policy which is going to improve the sustainability and fairness of this.”
“I also want to stress that this reform will still provide concessional tax treatment for that part of the balances over $3 million.”
“I thank the Leader of the National Party for the question. I would like to firstly state that it is important, I think, to go back to the purpose of superannuation when we consider this important reform. Superannuation was a very important reform brought in in the early 1990s. It was for the purpose of providing dignity and certainty in retirement for people across the Australian population. That is an extremely important piece of context, because this reform that we are talking about is very important in improving the sustainability and the fairness of the superannuation system. I would like to add that this reform will apply only to around half a per cent of member balances. It is going to apply only to balances of $3 million or more—balances that are well above what is needed for people to achieve dignity and certainty in retirement.”
“Before I move this motion, following on from the deputy chair, I will thank my staff also so that's on the record. I move: That the House take note of the report R eview of Australia's four major banks 2023-2024 . Debate adjourned.”
“All of the members of the committee participated in many days of public hearings—I think there were almost 30 days of public hearings last year alone—two major inquiries and travel right around Australia. I commend these three reports, and I thank all the people that I just mentioned.”
“He was always looking for evidence based solutions and always looking for solutions and policy recommendations that would stand the test of time, and I think that both the conduct of our public hearings and the way in which we managed to land our two big policy reports and all the recommendations benefited greatly from his leadership and the fact that he was willing to compromise on so many occasions and try to get unanimous outcomes. But, of course, I'd also like to thank all of the other eight members of the committee and also the four additional members who came on board for the flood insurance inquiry. That was a 14-member effort which produced a very substantial report, and I think the recommendations of that report will stand the test of time and lead to ongoing change.”
“We also had a number of temporary staff and secondees, and our graduates Laura, who made a significant contribution to the ACCC and ASIC reports as well as to the flood report, and Owen. Thank you to Vivien; to Holly, who was a parliamentary assistant; to Anabelle, who was loaned from another team; and to Dee, who was a Treasury secondee for our flood report. Finally, I acknowledge my other committee members. The deputy chair is here in the chamber, and he was somebody who worked very hard on this committee, I want to note, with an extremely collegiate air.”
“I acknowledge, with some sadness, Sam, who was a longstanding inquiry secretary for this committee. Sam is sadly no longer with us and is still much missed by her colleagues and also by committee members. I thank Tessa, who travelled across metropolitan and regional Australia with the committee and dealt with highly demanding committee members in all of those exploits. I thank Nicolette. I don't like singling out individuals, but Nicolette deserves special mention—and I hope not to offend others—due to her very hard work and for being the bastion of continuity in a difficult year. She really stepped into the breach to ensure the delivery of our economic dynamism report, the flood report and also our big four banks report. I acknowledge Jazmine, Danton and Nicole.”
“I also thank individuals and organisations who participated in private briefings, and I particularly thank prominent economists who took considerable time to provide the committee with very detailed briefings. I think it is fair to say that the entire committee found those to be incredibly valuable. I will conclude by thanking our secretariat members. It's a very, very hardworking secretariat that has produced significant amounts of very high quality analysis. I thank Lachlan, who was the committee secretary for the initial part of the term. I thank Jeff, who was committee secretary for the latter part of the term and had to deal with some very substantial work in relation to our flood insurance inquiry and also with emails and calls at all hours from me, the deputy chair and others. He did that with exemplary grace.”
“I note, again, that the public hearings in relation to ASIC covered a wide range of other reports and, again, I believe it proved to be a very important accountability mechanism. I will just take this opportunity, now that we are very close to the end of this term, to thank all witnesses who provided written submissions or appeared at public hearings for our committee over the course of this term. There were, indeed, many. We undertook public hearings in relation to the annual reports of, as I noted, the big four banks but also many public sector organisations, and we held two very substantial inquiries: one into competition and economic dynamism and one into flood insurance.”
“However, the committee also noted—and this was unanimously noted—that it expects ASIC to continue efforts to better communicate with the many Australians who reach out for help. The committee also stated in its report that ASIC's actions under new intervention powers, granted after the Hayne royal commission, are important, including step-in powers to block poorly targeted financial products. We stated that the committee were pleased to see early signs of success from ASIC's use of these new powers, and we encourage ASIC to continue using these new tools judiciously to prevent and take action against wrongdoing. The report also addresses ASIC's recent work on other issues, including corporate cybersecurity obligations, greenwashing and also the ASX's troubled CHESS settlement upgrade.”
“The report also covers major consumer protection issues, including scams, data breaches, consumer data privacy, unfair contract terms, consumer protections for travellers, alleged misleading pricing claims by the major supermarkets, card-payment surcharging practices and the impact of breaches of consumer law on vulnerable consumers. I reiterate that I think these public hearings have proved to be a very valuable accountability mechanism, given the central role that the ACCC plays in enforcing competition and consumer protection. Finally, I'd like to make some very brief comments in relation to our oversight of ASIC's annual reports. The committee acknowledges the challenges that ASIC faces in triaging thousands of complaints and tip-offs annually. ASIC has a very broad remit.”
“The report also addresses a wide range of competition issues, including mergers and acquisitions, reforms, gas markets, petrol taxes, greenwashing, the energy transition, aviation, reforms to improve competition in slot management at airports, and Australia's highly concentrated supermarket issues. Many of these issues had been addressed in our competition and economic dynamism report, which the ACCC greatly assisted the committee with. Indeed, on a number of fronts, including mergers and acquisitions reforms, the regulatory grid, and non-compete clauses, we welcomed the fact that the government has subsequently taken action. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the assistant minister, who's in the chamber, for his longstanding advocacy of a number of these policy areas.”
“While ASIC's report looked at 10 banks, the four major banks should be held to particularly high standards due to their large market shares and direct impact on the lived experience of so many Australians. In overall terms, I reiterate that these public hearings were productive and that they dovetailed well with other reports of this committee—for example, the report into competition and economic dynamism. The committee also undertook public hearings with the ACCC. Through these public hearings, we looked at a wide range of public-policy hearings, including fuel taxation, consumer data privacy and supermarket pricing. Indeed, the breadth of issues that we dealt with in these hearings is a testament to the wide range of the ACCC's responsibilities.”
“Having said that, scams remain a significant challenge for people in our community, particularly vulnerable people, and further actions will be needed. That's why further accountability on this front in future parliaments will be important. The committee acknowledges efforts by the banks to support customers in hardship. It is concerned, however, by findings of ASIC's May 2024 report, Hardship, hard to get help , suggesting that more than a third of Australians applying for hardship support have dropped out of excessively onerous application processes at least once and that 40 per cent fall into arrears immediately after hardship support ends. The committee agrees with ASIC's assessment that this is not good enough.”
“For example—and this was one of the issues explored with the banks—new first home buyers and renters, often younger Australians, have been particularly severely hit by inflation, cost-of-living pressures and higher mortgage repayments. That's why it's so important that there be continued help for first home buyers and continued help for housing affordability measures. The committee explored a range of policy issues, including scams. The committee acknowledged that the banks have undertaken a range of measures, including investments in IT, and that this formed a part of broader actions taken by the government to reduce scams and that scam activity and scam losses have in fact started to fall.”
“This term, I think the public hearings of the CEOs played a particularly important role, given the nature of the challenges that this parliament was overseeing—the inflation challenge that our economy faced and the role that banks played in intersecting their actions with the role that monetary policy played in fighting inflation. The committee held public hearings with each of the four major banks on 12 and 13 July 2023 and 29 and 30 August 2024. The committee acknowledges the significant cost-of-living pressures still confronting many Australians. These pressures have not been felt evenly across the economy.”
“On behalf of the Standing Committee on Economics, I present the following three reports: R eview of Australia 's four major banks 2023-2 02 4 ; R eview of th e Australian Competition and Consumer Commission annual report s 2021 , 2022 and 2023 ; and R eview of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission annual report s 2021, 2022 and 2023 , together with the minutes of proceedings. Reports made parliamentary papers in accordance with standing order 39(e). by leave—Today I wish to speak briefly to these three reports—firstly, the report into the big four banks and the public hearings of the CEOs of those banks. This is a part of the Standing Committee on Economics' functions, which I believe has become an important element of accountability for the financial services sector, given the uniquely important role that banks play.”
“Both of these events show how the community spirit in my electorate is running strong and how volunteer work can make events like these work so well for the thousands of people who attend.”
“I give special thanks to the West Footscray Traders Association as well as to the Indian consul-general for making the time to attend. On Sunday, the Yarraville Festival was held, which was a great opportunity to celebrate the community of Melbourne's inner west. This annual festival has become an institution in Melbourne and is unmissable. On top of the food stalls, the live music stage showcased the many talented artists and musicians that call Melbourne home. The event was a spectacular occasion, and I give special thanks again to the organising committee, who made it happen through countless volunteer hours, with a special shout-out to Con and Anton.”
“Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending two festivals within my community. On Saturday I attended West Footscray Holi, which celebrated the Hindu holiday that champions the triumph of good over evil. The festival was attended by many members of the Footscray community and featured live music, food stalls and, of course, plenty of colour. As anyone who's been to a Holi festival might expect, I started the day in black and white and finished the day in pink, green, blue, yellow and red. However, the level of colour was only exceeded by the level of effort that went into planning this wonderful event. Indeed, the team behind the scenes worked hard to ensure that everyone was able to enjoy such a special day.”
“They have 31 centres and over 500 staff. The Heartlands project was launched last night, with speeches by Cassandra Fernando, a member of this parliament, telling her story as a migrant, and Archie Thompson, a former Socceroo, and there was a very powerful speech by Tara Fatehi, a person who emigrated to South Australia from Kurdistan. These stories provided very powerful examples of how the supports provided by AMES and similar organisations, but AMES in particular, are so critical to people learning the language and other skills they need. Can I also draw attention to Cath Scarth, the CEO, and all the work that she's done over a long period of time.”
“This is not an insular initiative. NEFA recognises that effective advocacy requires building strong coalitions, not just within the diaspora but with religious and cultural leaders, the health, education and legal sectors, and young women and girls who may go on to have daughters of their own. To this end, NEFA are developing a network to deliver these services with the cultural sensitivity required to shift the perspective of those within the community who remain resistant to change. I'd like to particularly draw attention to the work of Fartun Farah, the chair of the EAWF, and her work over a long period of time. Can I also call to attention the work of AMES, who provide important English-language supports and early childhood and aged-care training in my electorate and right across Melbourne and Australia.”
“This is a practice that does not have health or religious justification, and this was made clear at the launch of the network. Despite being illegal in every state and territory in the country, the foundation reports that FGM remains a significant issue. Women in their community are coming to them and saying that they find it very difficult to access clear information about the impact of the practice on women and children. Likewise, legal advice about the ways they can protect their daughters often remains out of reach. The Network to End FGM will bridge these gaps with culturally appropriate and accessible programs delivered in the community and by the community. FGM is an international issue and a national issue, but the solutions are going to be local and come through trusted organisations like the East African Women's Foundation.”
“The East African Women's Foundation is an extremely important community organisation based in my electorate. It works across the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne, providing support to Somali women, often in very vulnerable situations. For women experiencing family violence, social isolation or financial insecurity, the East African Women's Foundation is an invaluable support. This past weekend, I attended the Australian launch of the East African Women's Foundation's Network to End Female Genital Mutilation and Circumcision in Australia, NEFA. This initiative is the result of the foundation's tireless advocacy for the right of women and girls to bodily autonomy and reproductive health. The United Nations has identified this as a major problem internationally and is fighting for the end of this practice by 2030.”
“We brought the Housing Australia Future Fund to this place; those opposite voted against it. We brought in Rent to Buy, Help to Buy and the First Home Guarantee. We brought in fee-free TAFE, which has provided opportunities and supported tens of thousands of additional workers in a sector of the economy where supply is absolutely critical. What have those opposite offered? Those opposite have offered the early release of super, which not a single macroeconomist or expert in housing says will produce a single extra house; it will only produce upward pressure on housing prices. This nation will face a choice later this year, and the manifesto which is being provided by those opposite today is simply not good enough. This country faces a number of challenges. It needs a serious plan going forward, not the divisiveness of those opposite.”
“We have invested in urgent healthcare clinics, which I can say have made a real difference in my electorate and in so many communities like mine where so many people rely on bulk-billing. We've promised to invest $1.7 billion in hospitals. Compare that to what those opposite are offering in health care and so many other areas of social service provision. They rail against our spending—hundreds of billions of dollars of overspending, they say—but won't tell us where the cuts will come. They like the rhetoric of sharp cuts in government but won't be honest with the Australian people about where the cuts will come. We on this side know that the cuts will have meaningful consequences, particularly for the most vulnerable in our society. Let's look at housing—another complex, difficult, long-term challenge.”
“When they talk about the cost of living, the disingenuousness of that will be tested when the Australian people look at their voting record when it comes to every one of the things that has actually made a difference to people's lives over the last three years. When we look at priorities, they didn't want to vote for any of those measures presumably because they cost too much. Now the centrepiece of their economic management is an up-to-$10-billion plan—the costings of which they haven't released—for free lunches for bosses. It is an economically unjustified tax break and one that shows a shocking sense of prioritisation. Let's look at health. We have turned around bulk-billing rate declines.”
“If we look at and contrast the two parties' policies—let's look at the last three years and the difficult challenges people have faced in relation to the cost of living. We've put in place policies in relation to tax cuts which have improved outcomes for 84 per cent of taxpayers—compared to the plan we inherited. We've provided significantly cheaper energy through rebates. We've provided cheaper medicine. We've provided consecutive significant rental relief assistance. What's telling—and the choice will be offered later this year—is that those opposite voted against every single one of those measures.”
“When we came to power this government inherited an economy where inflation was far higher than it is today and was rising. We inherited an economy where, for a long period of time, real wages had been in the doldrums. We had just experienced the worst decade for a very long period of time. Over the course of the past three years, through the hard work of the Australian people, inflation has more than halved and is continuing to track down on all the key measures—headline inflation and core inflation. Importantly, real wages are now growing through the strength of the labour market and because of some of the key reforms we have put in place in relation to industrial relations and workers' rights. But there is still more work to be done.”
“The great Paul Keating once said: When you change the government, you change the country. That is very true, and this country is going to face a serious choice later on this year. This MPI has been set up as an opportunity for those opposite to offer us their manifesto, in a way. The interesting thing about the manifesto is you look at the first three paragraphs, but then you turn the page over and it's blank. There's no 'please turn over'. It's such a threadbare offering from those opposite. When you examine what they're offering versus the demands this nation is facing, and the choice the Australian people face later on this year, the opposition's plan will take this country backwards. Let's look at a few of the most pressing issues this nation faces. First, the economy.”
“This motion contains a number of parts that I agree are issues which require further action. But, on most of these topics, the government has delivered action, often in the face of ideological, activist and simplistic opposition from the Greens that has been entirely counterproductive. That's what we should look at when we look at the words of those opposite.”
“They don't do the hard work on the policy, they don't come up with practical solutions that are actually achievable and, in addition, their mode of operating in the political system and in this parliament is such that they would rather see nothing occur so long as they can keep going out doorknocking and cynically use an issue for political purposes. This government has achieved so much in housing—$32 billion of initiatives—plus free TAFE places, which have led to something in the order of 45,000 additional people being trained, which is going to do a huge amount for the supply side of this housing challenge. The Greens political party spent a year or more blocking many of these measures along with the Liberal Party. They should hang their heads in shame at the way they behaved this term.”
“I think that was the response of one of the technocrats out there, but it is meaningless. It doesn't lead to real outcomes for people that deserve them. Another area, perhaps one that best highlights the Greens as activists rather than genuine responsible partners, in government is housing policy. When this government put forward sensible reforms—the Housing Australia Future Fund, the Help to Buy scheme, the Build to Rent scheme—the Greens party, because it wasn't exactly what they wanted, or because it didn't go as far as they thought it should go, blocked it month after month after month. We see the housing difficulties this country is facing are all the more difficult because they prefer activism over getting an outcome.”
“What this government actually delivered was tax relief that led to tax cuts for every taxpayer but that was much more skewed towards those on low incomes than what was being presented to the parliament by the previous government. People on less than $45,000 would have received no tax cuts under the previous government's scheme, but under this government received more than $800 a year—meaningful increases in their disposable income during a time when people were feeling particularly squeezed. Eighty-four per cent of taxpayers—indeed, probably a higher proportion of that in my electorate—are better off under our tax cuts. This government is delivering meaningful, real benefits to people. The Greens political party will put forward all sorts of aspirations when it comes to the tax system: tax billionaires a gazillion dollars.”
“What I think the Greens political party fails to do is move beyond listing a whole bunch of aspirations to, first, have the depth to come up with practical, well-thought-through solutions, and, second, in the midst of a political environment, move beyond being activists or a university debating club and get lasting outcomes that lead to real-world solutions. Let me point to an area that is a first-order issue when it comes to people's quality of life, particularly during this course of this parliament, and that is tax policy and tax relief—the stage 3 tax cuts. We can have a motion which says that we should tax more evenly, that we should tax in such a way that we give greater benefits to those who are more vulnerable, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis.”
“When I see a motion like this, particularly from the Greens political party, it really reinforces to me that it is possible in this place to have aspirations that are quite close. I look at some of the aspirations in this motion—to build more houses, particularly for those who are vulnerable, to have a fairer tax system and so on—and I say to myself, 'I don't totally disagree with some of the aspirations that this motion is pointing towards.' But it takes more than aspirations in public policy and more than aspirations in the real world to get outcomes that mean things for people—the people that we ought to be representing in this place.”
“So, as the festivals of this Lunar New Year come to a close, we look to the next, and we look forward to families reunited, to ancestors honoured and to the promise of a fresh start.”
“About a month ago I visited a constituent to wish her a happy birthday. Mrs Thi So Nguyen turned 105 this year and welcomed me to her family home in Cairnlea. Mrs Nguyen is a mother of eight and arrived in Australia at the age of 75 to be reunited with two of her daughters. It had been years since Mrs Nguyen had farewelled their daughters as they made the perilous journey to Australia. The eight children that she raised alone in difficulty, after the war in Vietnam and after her husband had been executed in front of her eyes, had scattered across the globe following the war. It has been many years since Mrs Nguyen has had her children in the same place at the same time, and at 105 she recognises that it may never happen again.”
“Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser's decision to open the doors to more than 100,000 Vietnamese refugees came at a time that Fraser himself described as one in which 'the major political parties did not play politics with race or religion, with the lives of people fleeing from terror'. It was an honourable and courageous decision that changed the refuge and the refugee equally. The 100,000 refugees that made their home in Australia have run businesses and raised families. They have excelled in the professions, in community services, in the arts and in so much more. They have birthed their children on and buried their dead in Australian soil. Their stories have become Australian stories, and they are as many and varied as the people who carry them. I'd like to share one with you now.”
“This weekend, the Vietnamese Community in Australia Victoria Chapter will bring to a close almost a month of lunar new year celebrations. On 15 and 16 February, a massive celebration will occur at Footscray Park. Tet is a time for Vietnamese families to come together to honour their ancestors and to look forward to a promise of a fresh start. 2025 is particularly significant for the Vietnamese community, who make up a third of Fraser's constituents. It marks 50 years since the arrival of the first Vietnamese refugees. The initial group was small in both number and size. They were orphaned children evacuated from Vietnam as a part of Operation Babylift. They were followed a year later by the first adult refugees, who had sailed more than 3,500 kilometres, seeking the fresh start that is celebrated at Tet.”
“Every year I think it can't get much bigger, and every year I'm happily proven wrong. In the spirit of healthy, celebratory competition, the Sunshine Business Association mounted a Tet festival on 26 January that saw the Hampshire Road shopping street filled with red pockets, red dragons, golden lions and painted faces. Forty-eight hours later, I had to rustle up an appetite. I was in Braybrook for the Quang Minh Tet Festival. The Quang Minh temple is the spiritual heart of Victoria's Buddhist community, and lunar new year at the temple is an extraordinary experience. I encourage everyone in Melbourne to seek it out for next year's lunar celebration. It won't be an early night, but it will be an unforgettable one.”