Wednesday, 21 June 2023

 John MULLAHY (Glen Waverley) (10:17): Recently I had the pleasure to attend dragon boat festivities in my electorate, with many more events coming over the next few days. The festival commemorates the life of Qu Yuan, a famous poet. His life is honoured through the holding of dragon boat races and the eating of rice dumplings, zongzi. I must say that I am a huge fan of zongzi – they are absolutely delicious – I am not sure whether you are a fan, Deputy Speaker.

These events are always special occasions where our Chinese community get together to share this special day. I would like to thank Michael Miáo from the Chinese Association of Monash, Mrs Lee from the Monash Senior Volunteers Service Centre and Mrs Yin Xi Zhou from the Chinese Seniors Education and Skills Development Association for their kind invitations.

Cultural organisations are extremely important to our state. They give people the opportunity to connect with their cultures and connect with others in the area, and this is especially important to the seniors in my electorate. My electorate of Glen Waverley is one of the most diverse in our state, with a vibrant community where cultures, languages and traditions are celebrated. I am proud to be part of an Andrews Labor government that wholeheartedly celebrates diversity and always fights for equality and fairness, and I am incredibly grateful to represent the diverse community of the Glen Waverley district. Tomorrow I wish all in my community a special Duanwu Jie.