Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Dylan WIGHT (Tarneit) (12:56): I rise to update the house that this weekend I will be celebrating International Mother Language Day at the Julia Gillard Library in Tarneit along with my local community. How good was our first female Prime Minister at advocating for education, equality and language diversity – and indeed she is still doing so on the world stage. International Mother Language Day is a global observance that takes place in February each year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. The day was first proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999 to raise awareness about the importance of preserving and promoting the many different languages and cultures that make up our world.

I take great pride in our multicultural society, heritage and histories. Australia is a wonderful country focused on achieving the best outcomes for all Australians. This celebration is particularly significant in my electorate of Tarneit because of the role that language plays in defining our identities and shaping our relationships with others. For my constituents mother language is an important part of their cultural heritage and a key factor in their sense of belonging and connection to our community. Indeed the reason that festivals like this are so important to my community is so that those languages transfer through generations in the community of Tarneit.