Thursday, 30 July 2026

 Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (09:44): Thank you very much, Speaker. And if I may, happy birthday to the member for Thomastown also. I was delighted this week to attend and help make the inaugural BAPS women’s leadership conference in Parliament a reality. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is a spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship dedicated to improving society through individual growth, and I am proud to have its temple located in my electorate of Mill Park. The Carroll Labor government is proud of the rich, multicultural and multifaith diversity we enjoy in Victoria, a diversity enshrined in our legislation and celebrated across our communities. I have been fortunate to build a strong and collaborative relationship with BAPS and with many of our diverse community groups.

Our government also values gender equality and the advancement of women and girls, leading important health and economic reform through the office for women. On Tuesday some 90 BAPS women and girls joined my parliamentary colleagues and me for a genuine and meaningful exchange about civic participation, women in leadership and about our Parliament. We also discussed the multicultural funding that supports community groups and how we can strengthen multiculturalism across our state. It was a proud reminder of how strongly this side of the house is represented by women, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants inspired to engage further in Victorian community life and leadership.

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I would like to especially mention Shatel Patel and Helena Garr from the BAPS for their role in making Tuesday’s event a great success.