HON LINDA BURNEY MP
MEMBER FOR BARTON
 
SENATOR JENNY MCALLISTER
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES
 
CHRIS MINNS MP
MEMBER FOR KOGARAH

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
SYDNEY
SATURDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2020
 
SUBJECTS: Support for Chinese-Australian community; coronavirus.
 
CHRIS MINNS: Well thank you. We are in the heart of Hurstville, in the middle of the most vibrant Chinese Australian community anywhere in Australia, talking to our local community. We have Senator Jenny McAllister from New South Wales; the Member for Barton Linda Burney; and wonderful community representatives Ben, Jenny, Jason and everybody’s here to support our wonderful Chinese community. And the message really from the heart of Hurstville is that it is open for business. Restaurants are serving some of the best food you will have. Not just in Australia. But anywhere in the world. And many of them are full. So, a lot of people that live, work, reside, study – whatever – in this part of Sydney, are getting out of their houses, even on wet rainy days like today, and partaking in some of the best food you will ever have. So, it’s a reminder I think to our local community. Don’t forget, come out. Patronise your local restaurants. Eat some of this food. Talk to your local community. Convince your neighbours to come out. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell grandma, grandpa: today is the day that we’re going to leave the house and have a wonderful meal in Hurstville in this wonderful part of Sydney. And with that I think I’ll throw it over to Jenny.
 
SENATOR JENNY MCALLISTER: Thanks Chris. Look, it’s wonderful to be here in Hurstville with good friends and terrific community leaders. We have had a terrific meal talking with one another about some of the challenges that are facing Chinese Australians and the Chinese Australian community at the moment. With the coronavirus, it is actually a difficult time, and it’s a really important day for us to be here and show some solidarity. There are a lot of Chinese Australians – for a range of reasons – feeling a little uncertain. And it’s incredibly important that as a community, we pull together and to give this community our support. I will say that in talking to some of the leaders here, we’ve heard some pretty disturbing stories about people behaving in racist ways. This is a disease which does not discriminate, and we ought not discriminate either. This is a time to stand very firm, as a proud multicultural nation, supporting Chinese Australians, at a time when we are all dealing with something quite challenging globally. And it’s been terrific to be here with good friends and to hear their very wise perspectives on how we can best support this community.
 
LINDA BURNEY: I want to really acknowledge the Chinese community for welcoming us here today – for telling us what the effects of the coronavirus is having not only on business but also on children in schools. And the most important thing – the most important message – is look at official channels; read official information. Do not believe some of the sensational stories that we are seeing on social media. We are here for the Chinese community. And thank them very much for having us here today.
 
ENDS
 
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