Felicitations | Members Statement

Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan) : As we approach the end of this parliamentary sitting year I would like to reflect on my first year in Parliament as a newly elected MP. I am proud of my heritage, and I am honoured to be the first Indian-born member of Parliament in Victoria. It is not only an opportunity to serve the people of Western Metropolitan Region but also my chance to represent the Indian and broader subcontinental community of the entirety of Victoria in the Parliament.
Victoria is proudly home to the largest Indian population in Australia, and it has made significant contributions to Victoria. Over the past 12 months I have had the opportunity to meet many community groups, associations, constituents and individuals from many diverse backgrounds, and I am looking forward to meeting many more in the coming years. The western suburbs as a whole are an amazing and positive community, with Australian multiculturalism at their core.
I am extremely proud to be part of the Andrews Labor government, and under the leadership of our Premier we are delivering every promise we made to the people of Victoria. I would like to thank my family, my friends, my parliamentary colleagues, my electorate office staff and my wellwishers for their support throughout this year and the many years before this one. I would also like to thank the parliamentary staff for their great support. I wish everyone in this Parliament a safe, joyful and festive holiday period and hope that you get a good break and can spend some time with your families and loved ones. It has been a very exciting year for me, and I will continue working hard to serve the residents of Western Metropolitan Region.