‘Thought I would die’: Independent MP’s powerful first speech


Federal MP Dai Le gave her speech wearing a Vietnamese dress featuring the Australian flag. Photo: AAP
A new MP has delivered an emotional first speech to parliament, revealing her experiences as a refugee of the Vietnamese War.
Dai Le wore a traditional Vietnamese dress in a print of the Australian flag for Monday’s speech, in which she emphasised her patriotism for the country that adopted her and her family.
“Australia, you welcomed my mother, my family, with open arms, you gave us comfort, food and a warm bed to sleep,” she said.
“This migration story belongs to all of us. It’s our story, and we can all be proud to share it.”
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Ms Le is an independent MP who made history at the May election when she beat Labor’s candidate, former senator Kristina Keneally, and won the south-west Sydney seat of Fowler.
Fowler had previously been a safe Labor seat, held for 12 years by Labor MP Chris Hayes on a significant margin until his retirement in 2022.
In her first speech to parliament, Ms Le said her electorate was tired of being taken for granted by the major parties.
“The people of Fowler wanted and needed a representative who came from their community and would never forget the personal challenges that they face … not just at election time but every day,” she said on Monday.
“While it is a privilege to represent the people of Fowler, we are not a privileged people.
“We are the forgotten people and yet we are the backbone of Australia.”
A breast cancer survivor, Ms Le said she had experienced Australia’s “amazing” public health system but would use her time in parliament to advocate for more services in her electorate.
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With a 10 per cent unemployment rate in Fowler, Ms Le also called on the government to look locally to address Australia’s skills shortages.
“We have migrants and refugees with professional qualifications who are now working in underqualified occupations,” she said.
“We must work to swiftly create pathways for recognition of their qualifications so that we can engage their skills in our community.”
Ms Le was a foreign correspondent for the ABC and had previously tried to enter the NSW parliament as the Liberal candidate for Cabramatta.
In 2012, she ran as an independent and was elected to Fairfield City Council, a position she held until 2021.
“I never set out to be a politician,” she said.
“I only want to be a strong advocate for a community that has been neglected and abandoned by the major parties.”
During her speech, Ms Le also shared memories of the boat journey with her mother and sisters after fleeing war-torn Vietnam in 1975 when the former southern capital of Saigon fell.
Ms Le, who was just seven at the time, remembered the treacherous trip.
“I remember the moment I thought we would die when a huge storm hit our boat,” she said.
“I remember seeing bodies lying on the boat like dead corpses … I remember the years in refugee camps, dreaming of being able to lie in a proper bed, have a proper home, and go to a proper school.”
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After living in multiple refugee camps overseas, she and her family were eventually settled in Australia.
“I remember the moment when we were accepted to be resettled as refugees in Australia … and remembering as we stepped out of Kingsford Smith airport, the feeling of gratitude and freedom, ” she said.
“We were filled with hope as we looked out onto the horizon of endless possibilities.”
Ms Le said that while she welcomed the increase in migration announced at last week’s jobs and skills summit, the government needed to do more to ensure that migrants prospered after they arrived.
“We cannot simply increase migration and then let these new migrants to fend for themselves in a foreign country, leaving them feeling marginalised and demonised,” she said.
“It is the responsibility of government to ensure systems and plans are in place to enable a productive, cohesive and connected society.”
-with AAP