Queensland’s Deputy Opposition Leader, Cameron Dick, has praised the positive contributions of migrant communities while paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy during a ceremony at Brisbane’s Roma Street Parklands on Thursday. The event, organised by Queensland’s Indian community groups, took place at the foot of the Gandhi statue in the park and coincided with the 156th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth. Community leaders and officials from across the political spectrum – including members of both the state government and the opposition – gathered to honour the Indian independence icon and celebrate the multicultural fabric of Queensland.
In his address, Dick warned that Australia’s social cohesion was being undermined by divisive forces. He likened the nation’s diversity to a woven cloth, saying, “There are people pulling out the threads, and they want that tapestry to be threadbare or disappear altogether.” He pointed specifically to inflammatory rhetoric at the national level. “And there are some leaders in the federal parliament who said, when I look at Australia and when Australians look at Australia, because of migrants, they don’t recognise Australia anymore,” Dick recounted.
Dick’s remarks come at a time when debates over immigration and national identity are running high in Australia. By affirming that migrants have strengthened the nation, he offered a direct counterpoint to the narrative of fear and fragmentation. Gandhi’s statue itself stands as a symbol of peaceful change and friendship between India and Australia – a fitting backdrop for Dick’s call for unity over division.
Dick rejected these sentiments and offered a message of support directly to migrant communities. “Well, I want to say this to you,” he said, addressing the crowd. “I see you. I believe in you. And I recognise you because each and every member of the Indian community who we celebrate today, just as we celebrated last night, the German community at the beginning of German week, every migrant who’s come to this country has made a profoundly powerful difference, and they have made our country better.”
Speaking to the Indian community leaders present, Dick extended his gratitude on behalf of Queensland. “And so from the bottom of my heart to you, through you, … to everyone who calls Queensland home, I want you to know that you are recognised, that you are welcome, and that you play such a vitally important role in our state,” he said. He emphasised that such affirmations bear repeating: “And I don’t think we can say that often enough.”
As his speech drew to a close, Dick turned to reflect on Gandhi’s personal example of humility and leadership. Announcing that he wanted to “reflect on Bapu, the great soul” – using Gandhi’s affectionate nickname and honorific – he looked to the bronze statue of Gandhi towering nearby. “And I look at this statue and I see a man who embraced humility in the clothes that he wore, in the language that he used … in the life that he lived by example,” Dick observed, highlighting the simplicity with which Gandhi lived. He then pointed to Gandhi’s famous walking stick as a symbol of strength through nonviolence: “And I see that staff, that walking staff. And with that staff, he used it as a lever through his soul force to change India and to change the world.”
Dick noted that Gandhi’s teachings impacted him on a personal level. “He’s had a profound impact on me when I was a young man reading his his great works,” he recalled. He added that the Indian independence leader’s influence extended to everyone present: “He’s had a profound impact on all of us, and we’re honoured to be here today to recognise him.”
He concluded his remarks by thanking the organisers of the ceremony for bringing people together in Gandhi’s honour. “Thank you for inviting us here today, embracing us, as we celebrate a great leader and a great example to all of us,” Dick said, before ending his speech with a final expression of gratitude.
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