Pascoe Vale electorate
Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (14:55): (637) My constituency question is for the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. How will the Victorian Labor government’s $950,000 investment to support the Bachar Houli Foundation help empower local young people through education, health, wellbeing and sporting outcomes? Bachar Houli is of course a legendary AFL player with a career spanning almost 15 years across Essendon and Richmond, playing 230 games and winning three premierships. Bachar is also known as the first devout Muslim to have played the game at the highest level. Whilst he may have retired in 2021, Bachar’s incredible work to inspire the next generation of young people very much continues through his foundation and the Islamic College of Sport. Established in 2012, the foundation has worked to develop young leaders through employment, education, sport and active recreation pathways. Starting off with just 50 participants in 2012, the program has grown to support 35,000 young people since, and inherent in the foundation’s approach is to always inspire and embed social cohesion and harmony amongst young people. I was pleased to have welcomed the foundation and college to Coburg City Oval, their new campus, officially opened by the Minister for Youth in November 2023, to meet with foundation director Ali Fahour and college principal Hassan Ellahibi to discuss the foundation’s work and future opportunities.