Tuesday, 28 July 2026

 Eden FOSTER (Mulgrave) (13:14): I rise to share recent highlights from the vibrant multicultural community that defines my electorate of Mulgrave and our state. I had the honour of attending the 19th executive council inauguration of the Fujian Association of Victoria. Established in 1994, the association brings together Fujianese Australians spanning generations and continents, from China and Malaysia to Vietnam and Singapore. I wish to congratulate Mr Jimmy Li on his appointment as president.

I also had the privilege of attending the Pakistani mango and multicultural food festival at Sandown racecourse in my electorate. While the world-class mangoes were a hit, the event was fundamentally about family, friendship and celebrating the Pakistani community. My sincere thanks to the Consulate General of Pakistan and the festival committee.

I had the privilege also of speaking at the Professor CJ Eliezer Memorial Lecture at the Victorian Tamil Community Centre over the weekend. Addressing the critical theme of family wellbeing and community safety, I spoke about the urgent national femicide crisis and the distinct barriers multicultural communities face in seeking support. This Labor government led the nation by calling for and implementing all 227 recommendations of the historic Royal Commission into Family Violence. As leaders, we must firmly reject harmful rhetoric, such as recent comments by the federal One Nation leader suggesting family violence is a two-way street. This minimises gender-based violence and deters victim-survivors from seeking safety.