Page 254 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2006
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a boost from that example. Let us see how it goes. Well done to everybody who was involved.
Let me take the opportunity to pick up on some of the key players who ought to be recognised for the roles that they have played in this particular festival. Of course there is Nic Manikis, who heads up the OMA; and Domenic Mico. Let us take our hats off to Domenic. I call him the comeback kid. He was desperately ill in recent times and was a very sick man. He has bounced back almost as if he had never had a brush with death. He has been out there and put together a very good activity. It was great to see him there on Saturday afternoon.
Others include the logistics officer, George Simpson; the theatres coordinator, Liz Topperwien; the music coordinator for the food and dance spectacular, Seth Jordan; as well as the National Multicultural Festival team. Helen Cross has been out there and in some ways is making a bit of a comeback as well. Others include the volunteers coordinator, Trisha Wong; accommodation logistics, Jodie Hughes; stage managers, Guy Scott Gibson, Corri Hakaraia and Jan Wawrzynczak; the theatre team leader, Steve Walsh; the technical support, Rodney Bates and Joanne Topperwien; communications officer, Yersheena Nichols; the harmony parade coordinators, Alison Cronan and Jim Andriopoulos; and website co-ordinators, DHCS Media and Communications, Renee Ness. Congratulations to all of those people on that National Multicultural Festival team. All power to them. Let us see where the festival goes from here.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Urban Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (4.39): I thank Ms Porter very, very sincerely for bringing the matter to the Assembly today. It is important. The issue of multiculturalism in this country is a matter of public importance and is topical at the moment. I also express my sincere appreciation to Mr Pratt for his support not only in the words that he has produced today, for which we are very, very grateful, but particularly for those people that he has acknowledged. I appreciate that and I very much appreciate his appearance at many of the events during the festival.
It shows, in fact, that we are as one when we come to celebrating the multicultural diversity of this town. Indeed, if I can be so bold, it shows that we are at one in the fierceness of our preparedness to defend it. We cannot underscore the importance of multiculturalism too much. It is an absolute and pure demonstration of the sense of family. It is acute.
With regard to the National Multicultural Festival, Mr Pratt has been very good to name most of the people that have been involved. I echo his sentiments. I will not repeat those names, other than, of course, to single out Dominic Mico. That is warranted every time we sing people’s praises regarding the festival. I mention young Jorian Gardner, the madman behind the fringe festival. He has done the most fantastic job, under some trying circumstances, I have to say, particularly last night during the storm, when, of course, the whole place had to be evacuated because it was an outdoor event.
When I was talking to Mrs Cross about the festival earlier today, we both observed that one of the beaut parts about living in this town, in such a multicultural society—and we
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