Page 204 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 December 2016
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have been done in January 2016, which was collating all of this information together and bringing it to the Assembly. The Assembly and the people of the ACT have a right to know what is going on in this area when there are constant failings.
I just reiterate that bashings, deaths and a technology arms race are not things where you can say, “Oh, we can’t fix it.” I know it is difficult; no-one is claiming it is not. The attitude of the minister needs to be, “We are going to do everything in our power to resolve this”, not “Well, it happens elsewhere and so it’s fine.” That is not good enough for the families of the people in the prison, if they have experienced bashings. It is not good enough for them and it should not be good enough for the minister. I would love to see the minister standing up a bit more and saying, “I’m going to do everything in my power to resolve these issues.” That would be very refreshing.
Amendment agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Gentleman) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Diwali Mela festival
Lifeline fun run
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (6.03): I would like to take the opportunity in the adjournment debate today to congratulate a number of community groups on recent events that I had the good fortune of attending. The first was the Diwali Mela festival held on Sunday, 6 November at Albert Hall. I know a number of other members attended but I do not have a full list of who they are, so I shall not, at the risk of leaving somebody out, mention them.
Quite a few MLAs attended. It was an all-day festival. I know people came and went at different times, and it was certainly a terrific festival. The day’s program culminated with grand fireworks, which I missed, but I gather they were very spectacular. I was certainly pleased to participate in the lighting of the traditional lamp and to make a brief address to the gathering with Minister Stephen-Smith, who was there at the same time that I was there.
Diwali Mela is a spectacular Indian community festival to celebrate the famous festival of lights. It symbolically celebrates a victory of good over evil and is the most popular festival in India. It has been celebrated every year in Canberra since 2003. All the various community organisations of Indian cultural background work together to support the festival, and it was certainly a terrific program of cultural performances, great food and a friendly atmosphere.
I would particularly like to thank Lakshman Prasad—otherwise known as Lucky—and the organising committee for their significant effort in putting this major community event together.
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