Friday, 14 November 2025

 Kim WELLS (Rowville) (10:38): In 2023 I had the opportunity to travel to Armenia as part of a parliamentary delegation. What I witnessed left a lasting impact. In the town of Goris, I met mothers holding their children with tears in their eyes, having fled their homes in Artsakh with only the clothes on their back. One woman clutching a plastic bag of belongings told me, ‘I don’t know where my family will sleep tonight.’ Another said, ‘We’ve lost everything again.’ Their grief was raw and reminded me that Armenian displacement is not a distant memory, it is a lived and repeated trauma. Their suffering echoes the legacy of the Armenian genocide, a tragedy still awaiting full international recognition. But amidst that pain, I see resilience and a people holding tight to their culture, their dignity and their will to survive. That resilience is embodied in the Armenian Australian community here in Victoria, and especially through the Armenian National Committee of Australia, which this year marks its 50th anniversary. For five decades the ANC Australia has been the voice of a vibrant community promoting justice, truth and democratic values. It advocates steadfastly for human rights and supports future generations to be proud of their heritage. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to ANC Australia on their milestone and thank them for all they have done to strengthen our democracy and enrich our state.