Refugee Week was celebrated between 14 and 20 June, and this year marks the 40th anniversary of Refugee Week. The theme for 2026 was “A Million Stories”.
I want to share three stories during my contribution this evening.
The first relates to an event hosted by Her Excellency the Governor-General, the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, and Mr Simeon Beckett SC at Government House. The event celebrated both Refugee Week and the launch of an Australia Post stamp commemorating the fact that Australia welcomed its one millionth refugee since World War II last year—an outstanding achievement and an important part of the Australian story.
During the event, so graciously hosted by the Governor-General and Mr Beckett, who always do a wonderful job of welcoming guests to Government House, we heard one of those stories from the former Governor of South Australia, the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC.
Think about this: he fled Vietnam and came to Australia by boat as a refugee, and decades later became Governor of South Australia. What a remarkable story.
We heard about his perilous journey. In fact, there were two voyages by boat. Following the first journey, he was appointed navigator because he seemed to have some sense of direction, despite having no formal experience. He recounted how, as they approached Darwin, they came across a tinny carrying two Australian fishermen who raised their beers and said, “G’day, mate. Welcome to Australia.”
What a wonderful Australian story.
At Government House, we also met people who have built successful lives in Australia after arriving from Chile, the Baltic states, Vietnam, Sudan and many other countries. A million stories.
We also witnessed the unveiling of the beautiful commemorative stamp—a collaborative project involving the Refugee Council of Australia, UNHCR and Australia Post. It is a beautiful stamp that captures the story of people arriving from all over the world and becoming part of multicultural Australia.
Last Saturday, I attended the Multicultural Community Centre Football Festival 2026, which brought together teams comprising members of many different communities, including people from refugee backgrounds.
It was another wonderful event, and I want to congratulate my good friend Jeannie Mok OAM, who does exceptional work in this area.
The Multicultural Community Centre empowers people who have come to Australia, including refugees. It provides skills, training and pathways into employment in sectors such as aged care, childcare and hospitality. It empowers people—and that is what multiculturalism is all about.
At the event, I met Mr Jay Phillips, General Manager of a family-owned timber packaging company, CMTP. I spoke to Mr Phillips about the company’s history. CMTP is celebrating its 50th year, having been founded by Chris and Marilyn Mead.
Mr Phillips told me how the company employs people from refugee backgrounds, gives them opportunities, and provides employment in Australia’s manufacturing sector.
Again, what a terrific story.
During that event, what struck me most was the overwhelming sense of gratitude—gratitude from members of our multicultural community, including those who came to Australia as refugees. Gratitude for the opportunity to build their lives here and contribute to our wonderful country.
So I want to acknowledge CMTP. Thank you for your support of the Multicultural Community Centre Football Festival, and thank you for everything you do as a Queensland family-owned company to support new arrivals to Australia, including those from refugee backgrounds.
The final event I wish to mention, Acting Deputy President, is one I attended this evening. It was hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Refugees Group, of which I am proud to serve as co-chair.
The Refugee Council of Australia helped organise the event, which provided insight into what are known as complementary pathways. These pathways complement Australia’s core humanitarian program by creating additional opportunities for refugees to come to our country.
Once again, we heard extraordinary stories.
We heard about the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot—the CRISP program—and a wonderful group from Aireys Inlet, the Aireys Inlet Rural Australians for Refugees Group.
I want to give them a special mention.
They welcomed Antoine and Janine, along with their children, from Burundi. The family is now building a life in Aireys Inlet, and it was incredibly rewarding to hear about the connection that has developed between the local community and this new Australian family.
We heard about milestones such as obtaining driver’s licences, securing employment and becoming active members of the community. Most striking of all was the happiness and gratitude they expressed.
So thank you to the Aireys Inlet Rural Australians for Refugees Group. You truly represent the very best of Australian values.
We also heard from two remarkable people who came to Australia through the Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot.
One was Samira, who arrived from Afghanistan and now works as an accountant at Hatchet Finance. She shared her inspiring story and the story of her family. Her husband is now a hotel general manager in Australia and has also achieved great success.
I want to congratulate Talent Beyond Boundaries for its work in supporting Samira and others like her.
We also heard from Bashar, who came from Syria and now works as a pharmacist in Darwin. Congratulations to the Northern Territory Department of Health for providing Bashar and his family with the opportunity to build a future in Australia.
We then heard about the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway through Skill Path Australia.
Two outstanding young people spoke about their experiences, and I have no doubt they will make significant contributions to our country.
We heard from Umar, from the Rohingya community, who is studying civil engineering at Deakin University. I would like to congratulate Deakin University for its efforts in this area.
And I can tell you this: Umar did you proud. He spoke glowingly about Deakin University and shared his ambition to become a civil engineer focused on affordable housing and infrastructure development, particularly in rural and regional communities.
He delivered a terrific speech, filled with optimism and a healthy dose of Australian humour.
We also heard from Sumaya, originally from Somalia, who is studying education at the University of Sydney.
Again, it was a heartfelt and inspiring story about someone contributing to our beautiful country.
So, Acting Deputy President, a million stories. A million people from around the world who have come to Australia as refugees and have made extraordinary contributions to our nation.
This represents the very best of multicultural Australia, and it is something that should be celebrated. It is something that should be celebrated.
