Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Adjournment

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (18:30): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

Melbourne Holocaust Museum

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:31): (1593) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister Stitt, and the action that I am seeking is an update on what support is being provided to Victoria’s Jewish community, including in particular the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, to promote safety and understanding and to reduce instances of antisemitism and vilification. Recently, along with colleagues from all sides of this Parliament, I had the great opportunity of taking part in the March of the Living at Auschwitz in Poland. It was a very sombre occasion marking 80 years this year since the liberation of the death camps, including at Auschwitz, and it was very special to take part in what was the first delegation of politicians from Australia in such an event. It was great to be joined by Mr Batchelor in this place, the member for Caulfield and the member for Box Hill in the other place, who coordinated it, and also the members for Gippsland East, Lowan, Albert Park, Prahran and Brighton.

It was, as I say, a very sombre experience to take part in and very meaningful to be part of the first delegation to take part in the March of the Living, a march which reclaims what was once part of the death marches at the end of the horrors of that particular site in Auschwitz. To take part along with around 8000 other people was a meaningful show of force of ‘Never again’. It was a good opportunity as well to immerse in some of the history of that part of the world. Indeed we know that Melbourne is home to the largest number of Holocaust survivors. It was particularly in remembrance of their struggles and their journeys to see the life of the Jewish community in Poland before the war, which was very important to acknowledge, and also then during. We met with many incredible people, including Mark Spigelman and his wife Rachel from Sydney. Mark was a Holocaust survivor who survived the ghettos and the camps as a young child. We were also joined by Sue Hampel, the president of the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, who was insightful and made the experience all the more valuable for us all, seeing the horrors and the absolute tragedy of what was one of the worst mass killings of people and the systematic destruction of Jewish life entirely in eastern Europe. We do have a strong Jewish community here in Melbourne, and I know that many are very proud to support them. We must continue to stand against all forms of antisemitism and racism. That is why remembrance activities, such as the March of the Living, are so important to acknowledge.