Page 147 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 16 February 2011
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like that. We cannot really talk about the refugee community without talking about Geoff McPherson and Kathy Ragless. That is what this motion is about. Instead, I have been sidetracked by an amendment which seeks to grab some of the glory. There is no glory for this Assembly; it is about the community.
When I travelled overseas in a ministerial capacity, to China, they congratulated me there on our Multicultural Festival. I was congratulated again by a whole series of Middle Eastern ambassadors here for being instrumental in bringing some of the normally antipathetic embassies together to have a chat about their particular day.
Mr Speaker, we have got the embassies involved, we have got the actual communities involved and we have got, as you saw, nearly 150,000 people involved. It is not a case of saying things like, “The importance of fiscal management so that this festival can continue and grow in the future.” What part about reducing it from $900,000 to $400,000 is not fiscal management and responsible fiscal management? What is wrong?
The amendment refers to “the welcoming nature of the ACT community with respect to refugees and asylum seekers”. I happen to know that that was an afterthought. None of those items were discussed with me.
I have to say that I am dreadfully disappointed. I had hoped that we could have seen some cosmetic amendments from those opposite and from the crossbench. It appears that those cosmetic amendments are not acceptable to these people. I think, Mr Speaker—
Mr Doszpot: We wanted to make substantial amendments to a cosmetic motion.
MR HARGREAVES: Sniping at me from the other side of the chamber does not wash. I am sorry, it just does not wash. I actually now question Mr Doszpot’s commitment to the multicultural community. I actually also question his undertaking to do things in a multi or bipartisan way, because he certainly has not exhibited that today. I have to say to you, Mr Speaker, that I am disappointed by Ms Bresnan’s approach as well. I have to say I am very disappointed in it because she did not give me a reason for supporting the Liberals’ position. (Time expired.)
MR DOSZPOT (Brindabella) (11.51): I thank Mr Hargreaves for his motion. No doubt, the issue of the importance of our many cultural, ethnic and religious communities that make up the vibrant and rich fabric of our proud city is a topic that is worthy of sincere acknowledgement and one that we should have more serious discourse on in this chamber. Suffice it to say, it is that time of the year when we are somehow forced by our colleagues across the floor—normally instigated my Mr Hargreaves and Ms Burch—to pat ACT Labor on the back for a job well done with their management of the National Multicultural Festival. Either way, both instances have now become an annual tradition.
I question the Stanhope government’s sincerity in putting forth this motion, as Mr Hargreaves seems to be referring to an ACT multicultural festival and not the National Multicultural Festival that we all know. It just shows you how much
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