Delegation of Labor MPs visits Keysborough Sikh Temple
Jasvinder Sidhu, adviser to Leader of Opposition Daniel Andrews, recently arranged for several members of Parliament to visit the Keysborough Sikh Temple.
On May 25, Martin Pakula, MP, Member for Lyndhurst; Judith Graley, MP, Member for Narre Warren South; Jude Perera, MP, Member for Cranbourne; and Gabrielle Williams, Labor candidate for Dandenong visited the temple as part of efforts to increase engagement with Sikh community, make them aware that MPs are available for community service and the community should contact them for their needs.
The Gurudwara committee welcomed the delegation and gave them a detailed history of the temple and its operations. After attending the diwan and ardaas, the delegation shared in the prasad and sangat before leaving.
“I’m pleased to welcome the growing Indian communities to our local area and I am proud to represent you in Parliament.
The Victorian Labor Party has a strong history of standing up to injustice, racism and discrimination—and fighting for equality and fairness. The Federal Government has recently indicated it intends to undo key elements of the Racial Discrimination Act, and these changes will make it easier for racists to publically air their views,” said Hon Martin Pakula MP, Labor Candidate for Keysborough, who is also the Victorian Shadow Attorney General.
He added that the Labor Party will continue to fight for a united, inclusive society.
“Sikhism is based on equality and social justice—we have a lot in common, as these are also core Labor Party values,” said Mr Pakula, and added that in three years, funding for the three core state government responsibilities—health, education and transport—in Victoria have been severely cut. “Our loved ones are waiting longer for hospital treatment, our kids are being educated in buildings that are falling apart, and our transport network, trains and roads, have ground to a halt,” he said.
“The real world effect of these cuts will mean the people who struggle the most in our community are the ones who will suffer the most. A tax on the sick, university fees increasing beyond reach and cuts to pensions will punish our most vulnerable citizens.
Labor is the party that truly cares about improving our Victorian health, education and transport systems, and we will help the most vulnerable people in our society,” he added.
Mr Jude Perera MP, Member for Cranbourne, said that the South East of Melbourne has welcomed many generations of new migrants. “
The Labor Party believes in a fair go for everyone and that we have a responsibility to help those who need it. We believe that through a good quality education or training, people can better themselves and make a meaningful contribution to society and the economy.
Labor believes in strong communities, not individual gain at the expense of others,” he said.
State Labor Member for Narre Warren South Judith Graley congratulated the Keysborough Sikh Temple on its outstanding work for the local community.
“Each week the local Sikh community provides food to those in need, from each and every background hundreds who would otherwise go without are fed. This extraordinary generosity comes from the values of social justice and equality that Sikhism is based upon,” she said. “Values that the Labor not only shares but was built upon and will continue to fight for,” she added.
Gabrielle Williams, Labor Candidate for Dandenong, said the Indian community is an active part of the vibrant multiculturalism in Dandenong and it was a pleasure to learn about Sikh tradition and the importance of the Temple to Indian communities in Melbourne’s South East.
Published in The Indian Sun (Indian Newspaper in Melbourne)
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