Wednesday, 22 June 2022

 Ms HALFPENNY (Thomastown) (09:51): It was with great sadness that I heard the news of the passing of Steve Dimos. Steve and his brother, Mick, have been unwavering in their commitment to and belief in the Australian Labor Party and its values. Steve had been a member of the ALP for 58 years. He was a wise and passionate man that gave his all to fight for a better Australia, one that accepted people no matter who they were or where they came from.

Steve was there for all of Labor’s ups and downs. He was there with Gough Whitlam when Gough introduced universal health care and free university and embraced the first steps of multiculturalism. He was there with Bob Hawke and Paul Keating when they restored the health system after the Liberals pulled it down and introduced the concept of a social wage. He had been through it all with the Labor Party. He saw all the premiers and all the prime ministers that we have had to offer, and he stayed loyal and true to the Labor Party through all of this journey.

Steve was also a tireless worker for the Macedonian Australian community. He understood how lonely and difficult life can be for those that leave their homelands in search of a better life for their families. He is well known to four generations of local Labor politicians. We have all known and worked with him and appreciated his views and advice and all the work he has done. Vale, Steve Dimos.