UIA meets Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Members of UIA with President Amarinder Bajwa(middle) with PM Julia Gillard
UIA President Mr. Amarinder Bajwa and Vice President Mr. John Niven, former UIA secretary Dr Moninder Singh met Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Deputy PM & Treasurer Hon Wayne Swan, Foreign Minister Hon Kevin Rudd at a lunch meeting organised by the Sub Continent Friends of Labor on May 22. The group was led in the parliament and hosted by Hon Ed Husic (Member for Chifley) and Hon Michel Rowland (Member for Greenway). The meeting was arranged to raise various concerns of the Indian communities in Australia.
UIA President presented the requests to review the various policies on immigration, inclusion of Hindi and Punjabi languages in the national curriculum and advocated the need of widening of the social services to the ethnic groups targeting specific needs of the diaspora. In the discussions with various ministers it was urged to acknowledge the contributions made by the ethnic diaspora to the Australia as well as advocated about the policies and funds to establish community and welfare centres specific to the needs of the ethnic people, old age homes and facilities for the ethnic seniors.
The parliamentarians were given invitations to attend the India Australia Friendship Fair being organised to coincide with Indian Independence day on 14th August 2011 at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.
The group also met informally with Hon Kevin Rudd Foreign Minister, Hon Steven Smith Minister for Defence, Hon Chris Bowen Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Hon Peter Garrett Minister for Education and apprised of the various issues that the communities are concerned with, including the submission to ACARA for inclusion of Hindi. UIA urged to develop stronger economic, trade and cultural ties with India beyond curry, cricket and coal!
UIA would continually like to engage and advocate for the concerns of the communities to the parliamentarians in the state and in federal arena as well as exchange the views for community development. It was reiterated that UIA is a peak body representing Indian diaspora and a channel for the community consultations. UIA would like to engage the government of the day at various levels and at regular intervals to present various issues concerning the communities.
Prime Minister was gifted with a beautiful golden stole by the UIA members which she proudly wore while chatting with them.
For more information please feel free to contact secretary UIA at secretaryUIA@gmail.com
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