Let me say at the outset that it is a great sign of respect and affection for our wonderful Nepalese Australian community that the first item of business before this Senate, as it returns following the disaster that occurred in Tibet and Nepal, is this condolence motion. That is fitting and proper.
On 30 August 2026, I attended a candlelight vigil hosted by the Nepalese Association of Queensland in King George Square, in my home state of Queensland. Also in attendance were friends from the other side of politics: the Honourable Milton Dick MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Honourable Shayne Neumann, the federal member for Blair.
The three of us, as federal representatives, were there in solidarity with our wonderful Nepalese Australian community. All three of us have attended festivals and celebrations hosted by the Nepalese community of Queensland, including traditional celebrations and sports days involving family members.
We have seen the Nepalese Queensland community at its happiest and most joyful, extending a welcome to everyone in the broader community to participate in its festivals. It was therefore fitting and proper that we were there with the Nepalese Queensland community in its time of need.
The Nepalese Australian community is part of the Australian story. It makes a wonderful contribution to our country through its small businesses, its employment and professional contributions, its work in aged care, its nurses in our hospitals, its community sponsorships, and, above all, its willingness to open its heart to the wider Australian community. It is truly a great blessing to our nation.
Now is the time for the Australian community to wrap its arms around our Nepalese Australian community. We are there for you. We are there with you. We feel your pain, and we are here to provide all the support we possibly can.
I would also like to commend the government for the contributions it has made, both in terms of financial support and on-the-ground assistance in the effort to find as many survivors as possible in the aftermath of these horrific events.
As part of this condolence motion, I would like to place on the record the words of a leader of the Nepalese Queensland community. These are the words of Mr Tikram Sama, President of the Nepalese Association of Queensland:
Expression of Appreciation
On behalf of the Nepalese Association of Queensland and the Nepalese community across Queensland and Australia, I sincerely thank everyone who stood with us during the candlelight vigils for Nepal in Brisbane and across Australia.
We are deeply grateful to the Australian Government, governments at all levels, emergency services, multicultural communities and the wider Australian community for their compassion, solidarity and support.
We also sincerely appreciate the financial, logistical and technological assistance, as well as the support of expert rescue personnel sent to Nepal to assist those affected by this devastating disaster.
At a time of great sorrow and uncertainty, your kindness and solidarity reminded us that we are not alone.
We respectfully appeal to the Australian Government to consider extending technical and financial assistance to support Nepal’s recovery and reconstruction once the immediate rescue and relief efforts are complete.
Thank you for standing with Nepal and our community.
Sincerely,
Tikram Sama
President
Nepalese Association of Queensland Inc. (NAQ)
You can donate to the recovery efforts through the Nepalese Association of Queensland, and I have placed a link to its fundraising efforts on my website.
Lastly, I want to commend the leadership of the Nepalese Australian community, including Tikram and many others. In many cases, they have loved ones they have not heard from and do not know the fate of. Yet at the same time, they are providing support to members of their own community and reaching out to other parts of the Australian community.
My deepest respects go to Tikram and all the other leaders of the Nepalese community.
