Liberals host Harmony Day

Never has celebrating harmony been as important as it was in March, in the wake of allegations of racial conflict within Australia. The annual Harmony Day celebration that began in 1999 took on new meaning this year, as double the number of organizations compared to last year, held events to promote cultural diversity in Australia. Thousands of schools, community groups and organisations in Australia hosted celebrations through special events. Winning the ‘ethnic vote’ has become increasingly significant in the current climate and the Government and opposition were both seen to invest time and effort to reinforce their commitment to mutual respect and harmony.

A Harmony Day event was held recently by Liberal Party’s Multicultural Unit comprising of Mr. Ted Baillieu, Nick Kotsiras, Jane Hume, Nitin Gupta and Gladys Liu. The event was attended by over 250 people from various migrant communities within Australia. A strong Indian presence was evident as many Indian community leaders, student representatives, media and prominent members from the Indian community attended the function. Liberal party members Nitin Gupta and

Vasan Srinivasan were among those present. Nitin Gupta who takes credit for coordinating Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu’s visits to many Indian community events said, “If you looked at the slide show presented, you will see how Ted has attended innumerable events within the community. He has happily attended events in various temples and gurudwaras; he has celebrated Holi, Diwali, Eid and many other festivals with our community. This reflects his willingness to be involved with us and support us.”

In his brief speech, Opposition leader Ted Baillieu reiterated Nitin’s words promising to continue attending events and learning more about multicultural communities in Victoria. He laid emphasis on the need for Australians to exist together in harmony to ensure progress. He said his party was committed to provide funding, education and information to help organisations create a spirit of inclusiveness and helps ensure that all Australians are treated fairly regardless of their cultural background or circumstance. Similar sentiments were echoed by Liberal MLA and Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, Nick Kotsiras.