Page 2382 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2016
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Troy has a support team including his dad and, of course, his trail running dog, Chloe, who I am assured does get to spend plenty of time resting in the support vehicle. But it would be fair to say that, in the brief demonstration I saw, Chloe is perfectly capable of keeping up with Troy on his bike. He also has a film crew alongside him and aims to produce a documentary as well as sharing the journey on social media networks.
Troy has also founded the not-for-profit organisation New Life Cycle which aims to raise awareness of refugee and asylum seeker issues throughout regional communities and to promote humane alternatives to the current regime of offshore processing for people who seek asylum in Australia.
I was very pleased to meet Troy on his stopover in Canberra. I was inspired by his conviction in taking on such a bold journey to raise awareness of an important issue and one that he will talk to many people about as he travels around the country explaining why he has the position he has. I wish him well on this journey. I hope that he has many tailwinds and finds many fine trails as he makes his way around Australia highlighting this important issue to our community.
Cyprus—42nd anniversary memorial service
MR DOSZPOT (Molonglo) (6.09): On Sunday, 10 June during the Assembly winter break I attended the beautiful ornate St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Kingston at the invitation of Mrs Georgia Alexandrou, President of the Cyprus Community of Canberra and ACT. The occasion was the 42nd anniversary memorial service for Cyprus, which was conducted by Father Petros and was in memory of all those who fought and died in Cyprus in 1974. This was the sixth occasion since 2008, when I was elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly, that I have attended this very moving and emotional service.
The church is always filled to capacity with a large overflow of parishioners having to participate from the front courtyard of the church. It is always good to catch up with so many Canberra friends from the Cypriot and Greek communities and to share this solemn memorial service with them each year.
Each year part of the service also includes a speech by Her Excellency the High Commissioner of Cyprus, Mrs Ioanna Malliotis. I have asked for a copy of her speech, parts of which I will include with her permission in my adjournment speech tonight:
Today’s memorial service (mnimosino) is not only for the resting in peace of the souls of our brothers who gave their lives defending our country on that black July of 1974. It is also for the upgrading and strengthening of our own morale and determination to continue our efforts for finding a just, viable and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.
Her Excellency continued:
The day of 20th July 1974 marked the lives of all Cypriots. Unfortunately, 42 years later and despite the numerous resolutions of the UN and the numerous
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