Victorian Liberals and Nationals hold multicultural leaders forum at Parliament

·

Multicultural leaders attended a political forum in the impressive Legislative Council Chamber at Victoria’s Parliament on Wednesday, June 7.

The Victorian Liberal Leader and Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, John Pesutto MP, invited these representatives of different local ethnic communities to the forum to engage with and discuss a number of issues they face today.

Nationals Leader Peter Walsh alongside the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Georgie Crozier were also present, as were the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs Trung Luu and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, David Southwick.

Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs Trung Luu

In the room there were also representatives of different multicultural communities from the Somalian to the Lebanese, Chinese and the Greek community.

Mr Pesutto welcomed everyone on the day and said: “This is a very important opportunity to engage with you and we want this to be the first of a series of ongoing dialogues with you as a group.”

The Victorian Liberal leader talked about the importance of real, genuine consultation with community leaders to make sure that policies are meeting the demands and challenges those communities face.

The first topic discussed was the importance of education among immigrants, a value which is increasingly out of reach for many, and in particular for children. It was mentioned that: “kindergarten education should be free because it hits hard on the migrant population.”

From skilled migrants to visa issues, the current housing crisis, and the need for more multicultural candidate representation in politics – many topics were discussed.

In the end, the representatives in attendance thanked the Liberals and Nationals for the opportunity to speak about important issues facing Victoria’s multicultural communities today.

The need for better resources and more funds to go towards multicultural communities was also stressed in order to try to affect long term change in very important social issues such as mental health or family violence.

“We see that a lot of funding comes from the state or the federal areas or departments and governments, but it doesn’t filter down to the grassroots. Most of our organisations actually work at the grassroots level,” a multicultural leader said.

Finally, some also mentioned the need for increased representation of the multicultural community particularly in frontline services, whether that was policing, health or even teaching.

In the end, the representatives in attendance thanked the Liberals and Nationals for the opportunity to speak about important issues facing Victoria’s multicultural communities today.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Greek and French leaders discuss defence and AI at Paris talks

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, February 10 to discuss defence and AI.

Locals who stayed behind pray for relief amid Santorini’s ongoing tremors

Residents who are yet to flee from Santorini held a religious procession on Sunday, February 9 to pray for the seismic activity to stop.

Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney unites generations at vibrant Ypapanti Dance

The Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney held its second inter-generational Ypapanti Dance in traditional paniyiri style at the Greek Community Club.

Greek Glendi shines at Canberra’s National Multicultural Festival

Canberra came alive with the sights, sounds and flavours of Greece over the weekend as the National Multicultural Festival took place.

Cousins Danielle and Vicki Vlahos battle over $800k loans and fashion label

Two cousins, Danielle and Vicki Vlahos, who founded the $7 million fashion label Portia & Scarlett, are embroiled in a legal battle.

You May Also Like

Melbourne’s Pallaconian Youth Club thrives with arts and culture night

On Saturday, December 2, the Pallaconian Youth Club was buzzing with vibrant energy during an Arts & Culture night.

Arrest made during raid for illegal occupation of beach space on Tinos

During a raid on Tinos, a business woman was placed under arrest for occupying public space on beaches without a permit.

Australian PM announces $925 million package for domestic violence victims

Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has announced a five-year $925m investment to help people escape domestic violence.