Prominent politicians address the Multicultural Liberal Business Club
The main draw card at the recent Multicultural Liberal Business Club dinner was the presence of Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison.
The event, which was held at the Hungarian Community Centre in Wantirna, provided an opportunity for local business leaders to network with Ministers and lend their support to the Victorian Opposition.
According to Vasan Srinivasan, Founder and Chairman of the Multicultural Liberal Business Club (MLBC), the evening was held to introduce the community to Alan Tudge MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Member for Aston, and Michael Sukkar MP for the electorate of Deakin.
Also in attendance were Michael Kroger, businessman and Liberal State President of Victoria, Chin Tan, former Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission along with several well-known members and supporters of the Liberal Party from the Indian, Chinese and Dutch communities.
Early in his address to the gathering, Minister Morrison pointed out that one of the main views that Alan Tudge, Michael Sukkar and he share passionately are that they are all strong proponents of the existing definition of marriage and the Marriage Act.
Minister Morrison said, “We understand the significance of marriage in our society and community and the interplay between faiths, religions, family and community. We are committed to ensuring that the long-standing traditions that we have all understood and respected over time will hopefully continue to be respected in this country.”
Minister Morrison then spoke at length on what he considers to be the ‘Fair Go’ ethos of Australia and the Liberal Party. He believes a ‘fair go’ is for those who participate and continue to apply themselves in making a contribution, rather than seeking one.
“Australia is one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world. The migrant communities that come to settle here tend to contribute and give not take. They are here to prosper not sit on welfare,” said the Minister. He urged those present to encourage their fellow Australians to contribute, not just by paying taxes and expecting the Government to take action, but also by getting involved themselves.
The Minister said that migrant communities are known to be incredibly generous in supporting each other. He outlined how he sees that migrants understand the sense of community very well and the rest of Australia could learn from them about how to reconnect.
The speeches continued until it was time for an auction to raise funds for the party. Both Alan Tudge and Michael Sukkar were invited to auction items, which they did sportingly.
After their brief stint at being auctioneers, the Ministers spent the rest of the evening meeting and greeting people. Moving between tables they happily posed for the cameras and endless selfies as they responded to people’s queries, concerns and feedback.