Close to 700Australian Labor Party supporters including small business proprietors and owners gave Prime Minister Kevin Rudd a rousing welcome at the fund raising function held at the Tivoli Room of the Rooty Hill RSL Club in Rooty Hill in Western Sydney Friday July 19.
During his speech, Rudd pointed out among other things that by its record of government , the Labor Party remains the party for multicultural Australians.
Rudd opened his address with a brief greeting in Filipino language, endearing himself with the majority of Filipino crowd ; greeted the Chinese guests in Mandarin; recalled his visits of places in India and in Pakistan, and recognised a few other migrants , thanking them all for choosing Australia as their home.
Rudd also mentioned his recent visit to Papua New Guinea in connection with his government’s search solution to the asylum seeker problem. Rudd emphasized that the Labor Party is a government “that chose to do something instead of doing nothing” in the face of the global financial crisis in the past
The $60 per plate function was hosted by Labor Party supporters of Member for Chifley Mr Ed Husic and Mr Husic’s office . Later, Mr Husic and Labor Party local branch stalwart Mr Neil Galang in behalf of Fiipino Labor Party supporters presented Mr Rudd the iconic and symbolic Filipino national attire Barong Tagalog.
It was the first formal meeting by the prime minister with a large group of Labor Party card carrying supporters since Rudd took over the reign of Labor Party and consequently the prime ministership of Australia after then Prime Minister Julia Gillard call for leadership ballot
Mr Rudd virtually held court during the fund raiser which was attended by multicultural Labor Party supporters particularly Filipinos, Indians and Chinese migrants, even standing briefly on a chair to obtain vantage view and acknowledge the welcoming party supporters.
Mr Rudd endorsed the record of Mr Ed Husic as first term parliamentarian and his contribution in advancing broadband network infrastructure in what he called as the government’s “investment for the future.” He asked party supporters to help return Labor Party to government by working and campaigning for the election of Western Sydney candidates Husic in Chifley, Mr David Bradbury of Lindsay, Ms Michele Rowlands of the seat of Greenway and candidate Ms Susan Templeman for the seat of Macquarie,. He introduced Mr Jason Yat-sen Li , candidate for the seat of Benelong.
The program was emceed by Mr Edmund Atalla, councillor of Blacktown City Council and attended by Federal Senator Doug Cameron, Blacktown City City councillors Charlie Lowles,, Susai Benjamin, Stephen Bali, among others. Leaders of Parliamentary Labor Party present were Member for Eden-Monaro Dr Mike Kelly and Federal Senator Doug Cameron.