Tuesday, 17 February 2026

 Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (15:24): Happy Year of the Horse. There are many Buddhist families in my electorate who celebrate this special day, including Bhutanese, Tibetan, Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodian, Thai, Malaysian, Korean and Singaporean, as well as many Nepalese Tamangs, Magars, Gurungs and Sherpas. This is what I love about the Australian Nepalese Multicultural Centre, which celebrates both the Buddhist and Hindu faiths and which hosted a huge Maha Shivratri celebration on Sunday.

On Saturday I enjoyed the past players celebration at Glenroy Cricket Club and visited Masjid Ar-Rahman and Millî Görüş on Victorian Open Mosque Day on Sunday. I had the joy of witnessing our young people’s achievement celebrated at the magnificent Our Lady Guardian of Plants church in Campbellfield and then unveiled the Peace Pole in Fawkner, led by Pascoe Vale Rotary and the indomitable Deborah D’Aprano, in partnership with the Merri-bek interfaith forum. I thank the chair Syed Waqar Hussein and all the members for the really important work they do.

The world’s faiths are built on mercy, compassion, respect and looking after one another, particularly the poor and vulnerable. We all share the golden rule of being kind to each other and a strong belief in the dignity of each human. There is more that unites us than sets us apart, and we never want to see anyone live in fear because they wear a hijab, a cross, a star, a tikka, a turban or a xâu chuỗi. Lent begins tomorrow and Ramadan starts later this week, and I am looking forward to celebrating many iftars. Breaking bread together is the best way to promote understanding between people, and there is nothing more important than this right now.