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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2112 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

There are activities listed for every day of this week, until Saturday. I would urge members to attend as many of those functions as they can so that the people who are represented during Refugee Week recognise that we do understand who they are, what they are and what their problems are.

Mr Speaker, the objectives of Refugee Week have been spelt out. I will not read them all, but there are three of them that I believe are relevant to this community. They are:

To acquaint the community with work being carried out to promote the well-being of refugees and the contribution made by refugees in Australian society.

To keep before all Australians the need for maintaining and improving assistance for refugees, both around the world and in Australia.

Debate interrupted.

ADJOURNMENT

MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 5.00 pm, I propose the question:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Mr Humphries: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.

Question resolved in the negative.

REFUGEE WEEK

Debate resumed.

MR KAINE: A third objective is:

To encourage all Australians, through community education, to welcome and assist in settling refugees in this country.

Those are only three of a number of aims and objectives for Refugee Week. Refugee Week, of course, is not new. It is not old either. The first Refugee Week was recognised in Australia in 1986, beginning in Sydney. Since then it has become a national event, becoming national in 1988, and it has been celebrated every year since then. So, it is important recognition of some of those migrants that have come to Australia under circumstances that are less than happy ones. Refugee Week is sponsored by Austcare and the Refugee Council of Australia. I think we should recognise the work that they do in mounting this week each year.

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