4 | The Canberra Reporter | OCTOBER 2017
BRIEFING from the desk of SENATOR ZED SESELJA
Youth on hot-button issues
MY Youth Advisory Council met recently to discuss hot-button issues including energy reliability , housing affordability , citizenship and the same sex marriage survey . I formed my Youth Advisory Council in 2014 to better inform me of the big issues facing young people in Canberra and to provide an opportunity for them to learn about and be involved in the political process . I write to schools right across Canberra inviting secondary students to apply at the beginning of each year . This year provided us with the largest pool of applicants to date . Members of the 2017 Youth Advisory Council are : Anneke Watson , Shriya Bellamkonda-Vaka , Aden Pulford , Alessandro Ciuffetelli , Mitchell Summerfield , Bianca Barrass-Borzatti , Clare Mason-Cox , Ahmad Moubarak Ousmane , Thu Vu , Giuseppe Trimboli , Neve Tually , Kate Washington , Olivia Davis , John-Paul Romano , Bertram O ’ Brien and Jorja Simpson . •
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FOR a long time I have been pushing for reform in the child protection space , particularly in the context of making adoption a more viable option for kids in need . We have over 18,000 children who have been in care for more than five years and have potentially seen numerous different placements and families during this time . Particularly concerning is that , with so many kids in care , only 278 adoptions took place in Australia in 2015 / 16 . We know that if we give children stability in their lives , they are less likely to enter the juvenile justice system , more likely to get an education and far less likely to enter into homelessness . At the meeting of Ministers we adopted new Permanency Guiding Principles which includes agreements to implementing timeframes through legislation and / or policy and practice to ensure timely decision making on the future of children . And more than that , they have agreed to report nationally on the time it is taking for each of the jurisdictions to make a decision . We have never had nationally comparable reporting in this area , so it is a great step forward . What does this mean ? More stability for our children . It means the decisions that need to be made on the future of our most vulnerable children will happen faster . While there is still a lot of room for improvement , I welcome any step forward in this area and will continue to fight for changes that will make the lives of children in out of home care better . •
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I had the opportunity to join Victor Marillanca and the Multicultural Voices of the ACT program on Canberra Community Radio station 2XXFM . The program is presented by the Canberra Multicultural Community Forum and goes on air every Monday at midday . Victor and I discussed the Federal Government ’ s Multicultural Statement , released earlier this year , which sets out our vision for embracing diversity while emphasising the importance of everyone in our nation integrating into our society and accepting our fundamental shared values of democracy , freedom of speech and religion , and the rule of law . We also talked about the Government ’ s new Humanitarian Settlement Program and community initiatives to improve access and support for multicultural communities in the ACT . Community radio stations play an important role in the diversity of Australia ’ s media and broadcasting sector . Recently , the Coalition Government announced $ 6.1 million of new funding for the community radio sector . This investment allows the continued development of content , training , online services and the broadcasting of Australian music . This funding also ensures the production of content for Indigenous and ethnic channels and for Australians with print disability . •
COMMUNITY
Ending with a flourish
FILIPINO CULTURE GOES ON PARADE AT BALIK TANAW FEST
THE month-long exhibit of Philippine arts and culture at the Auburn Peacock Gallery inside Auburn Botanic Gardens concluded with a parade of iconic Philippine festivals on Saturday , September 2 , 2017
The Balik-Tanaw Philippine Arts Festival was part of an on-going series of Philippine arts exhibits in various art galleries in NSW called the Bayahihan Philippine Arts Project . The project started on Saturday , July 8 , 2017 with a program comprising the Balik-Tanaw arts exhibit launch , art workshops , Philippine Family Day , panel discussions on Philipppine arts , culture , history , and tourism ; and the Philippine Spring Festival a parade of Philippine festivals , the Bayanihan hopping house , and dance and song performances .
Groups represented at the parade were the Illawarra Filipino and Multicultural Women ’ s Group , Visayan Association of Australia , NARRA Coop , ACI , Filipinas Dancers , VSD Dancers , Kapit-bahayan Co-op , Sonata Singers , Filipino Women ’ s Support Group , Sedgwick Co-op , beauty
IN PICTURE from left , Dammang Bantala , Marilie Bomediano , Ronald Adamat , and Norodin Salam in Seoul , Korea .
PinOz journo to Korea
RADIO broadcaster and newspaper reporter Marilie Bomediano received a ‘ Plaque of Recognition ’ at a peace summit in Seoul , South Korea on Monday , September 18 , 2017 . Bomediano , a delegate from Australia , joined others from 230 cities across the world including those in the Philippines to celebrate the 3rd Annual Summit of the Alliance of Religions Peace ( WARP ). The Summit was hosted by Heavenly Culture , World Peace , Restoration of Light led by chairman Man Hee Lee of South Korea . •
BALIK TANAW procession at Auburn Botanical Gardens .
pageant title-holders from the Filipino community , Peacock Gallery Art aficionados , general community members , community artists and staff of various art galleries .
The Philippine Arts Festival was organised by the Cumberland Council together with the Philippine community led by Auburn Small Community . •
ENTERTAINMENT
Comedy show for young Ruby
DEFACED nine-year-old girl Ruby , of Mindanao in the Philippines will be the beneficiary of proceeds from a comedy show . The show , Comedy for a Cause , will feature some of the best comedians from Sydney and Melbourne on Monday , November 6 , 2017 at the Burwood RSL Club , Burwood .
Rotary Club of Burwood District 9675 is sponsoring the show . Club president Walter Bock said Rotary had reached out to Ruby through MinPRA , the Mindanao Poverty Relief Action . •
SA ATING WIKA
Ulat ni ARNEL BASAS
Pag-aasawa na parehong kasarian
Mahirap pag-usapan ang anumang patungkol sa pag-aasawa na parehong kasarian sa isang demokratikong lipunan . Malimit itong nauuwi sa debate o kaya kaguluhan sa nalan ng karapatan ng bawat tao . Kamakailan lamang ay inilunsad ng pamahalaan ang pagsusuri sa pag-aasawa na parehong kasarian sa pamamagitan ng balota sa koreo . Gustong alamin ng pamahalaan kung ano ang nararapat gawin batay sa boses ng nakakarami . Ang paanyaya ay para sa lahat na botante bago ito magtapos sa araw ng Martes Nobyembre 7 , 2017 . Marami nang kaganapan dulot ng pagsusuri sa panig ng mga sang-ayon at hindi sang-ayon . Umani ito ng sari-saring batikos at kahulugan lalo na sa mga katulad nating iba ang kinagisnang kultura . Ang hirap magdesisyon dahil hindi ito ayon sa turo ng simbahan kahit tanggap na natin at nang lipunan anuman ang kasarian ng isang tao . Karapatan nating bumoto , gawin natin ito . Kahit saan man tayo pumanig umasa tayong mauwi sana ito sa ikakabuti ng lipunang ginagalawan natin . •