Mr PALLAS (Tarneit) — I am pleased to report on a  number of festivals in my local  community  which  highlight the  vibrant  multicultural environment  that exists within  my electorate  of Tarneit.  On Friday night I had the pleasure of attending  the  local Gujarati community’s Dandiya dance  evening.  The  Dandiya evening  is part  of a 10-day long Navratri festival, a major celebration of the Hindu communities across western and  northern  India.  The  Gujarati  community makes up  a quarter of Wyndham’s Indian population, and its members make up  the backbone of the  business  community. The Gujarati  community also makes a  very significant  contribution, particularly in business in the US,  UK and Canada. I attended the event with Rakesh Kawra from the General Consulate of India and his wife. My particular thanks to Sargam Music for the invitation and for organising the event.

See Tim’s speech in Hansard here.