Thursday, 4 June 2026

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (10:48): Once again, along with my colleague Mr Tarlamis, I attended the annual flag-raising ceremony in Dandenong organised by the Vietnamese community. I told the gathering that after our involvement in the Vietnam War, where the Anzacs stood alongside the South Vietnamese, Australia took a moral decision to accept them as refugees after the fall of Saigon, and this turned out to be one of the smartest things we ever did. They love Australia for saving them from a terrible situation, and we love them back for their kindness, openness and industriousness. South-east Melbourne and indeed Australia would be much poorer without them. Vietnamese Australians at these events are never shy when talking about their love for Australia or about the evils of communism. This made me think that their fellow Australians should also not be shy about talking about these things, so let us go.

Communism is an inherently authoritarian ideology that has caused untold misery through purges and starvation and crushing of the human spirit. Some people, even in this Parliament, would argue about this, but this means ignoring the experience of the living and the dead. Those with lived experience are the lucky ones, because millions upon millions are dead. Communism is an abject failure everywhere – a disgusting, catastrophic experiment and a blight upon the world. Australia will remain a great country so long as someone can arrive with nothing and still create a great life for their family through hard work and commitment to Australia. The Libertarian Party will always fight for these values.