Religious leaders morning tea
Statement
Mr Frank Paolino (Mount Lawley) (12:59 pm): Recently I had the privilege of hosting a morning tea with religious leaders from my community in the Aboriginal People's Gallery at Parliament House. This gathering was organised with a clear purpose—to foster open dialogue, strengthen relationships and build deeper understanding across our diverse congregations.
I was honoured to be joined by the Attorney General and Minister for Multicultural Interests, Dr Tony Buti MLA, whose ongoing commitment to supporting multicultural and interfaith engagement encourages the realisation of our vision and goal of achieving a more harmonious and better connected community framework. I acknowledge the presence of His Grace Bishop Elpidios of Perth, representing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia; Rabbi Captain Dan Lieberman, the Chief Rabbi of the Perth Hebrew Congregation; Rabbi Kim Ettlinger from the Temple David Congregation; Reverand Father Stanko Jovanowski; Reverend Father Stojan Peshovski; Ministers Kim and Stephen Francis; Father Mariusz Grzech; Senior Pastor Jason Hemsley; Father Greg Burke and Craig Anderson.
Their presence highlighted the importance of unity and collaboration among faith communities in Western Australia. Our discussion focused on shared values, community resilience and opportunities to work together to support harmony and inclusion. This morning tea was an important step in strengthening ties between religious groups and with the community ensuring all communities feel heard, supported, and represented. I look forward to continuing these conversations and building on this positive foundation.
Sitting suspended from 1:00:38 pm to 2:00:00 pm
