This afternoon, I joined elected representatives from all three levels of government in welcoming 300 new Australian citizens at the Ipswich Civic Centre.
Prior to the ceremony, I spoke to new citizens from all over the world, including India, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Philippines, Nepal, New Zealand and Russia. I met nurses, construction supervisors, disability services workers, and IT specialists – all incredibly excited about becoming Australian citizens.
Thank you to Ava, a local Ipswich high school student of Samoan heritage, who sang a beautiful rendition of the Advance Australia Fair and I Still Call Australia Home!
Congratulations to all!
