I spoke in the Tasmanian Parliament to support the condolence motion following the devastating tragedy in Nepal.
Nepal holds a special place in my heart. Some years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Kathmandu and other parts of the region, working alongside local churches and seeing firsthand their work supporting people experiencing hardship.
What I remember most is the kindness, gentleness and humility of the Nepalese people I met.
Today, around 3,000 people originally from Nepal call Northern Tasmania home. They are our neighbours, colleagues and friends, contributing enormously to our hospitals, aged care, businesses, professions and community.
The tragedy also touches our Parliament House family directly, with Nepalese members of staff deeply affected by what has happened and by friends and loved ones who remain missing.
To Tasmania’s Nepalese community, particularly my friends and neighbours in Northern Tasmania: we are grieving with you.
The people of Nepal, both near and far, are in my prayers and those of my family.
My speech in full:
Mr FERGUSON (Bass) – Thank you, Speaker, and first of all thank you to the Premier for presenting the House with this important motion today, and I also want to thank every other member of the House so far who’s spoken in support. I want to support it too, wholeheartedly, but also with a heavy heart.
So many members who have spoken have spoken about the connection that they as an MP have with the Nepali community and I want to briefly do the same.
A number of years ago, I had the great privilege of visiting Nepal as part of a leaders program, including spending some precious and memorable time in and around Kathmandu. While there, I was part of a team supporting local churches in Nepal and northern India, and I saw firs hand some of their practical work helping people who are experiencing real human hardship, including a sewing centre helping widows earn an income and an orphanage caring for the most precious of the Nepali.
What I saw was Nepali helping their fellow Nepali. I saw a lot of both the wealth and poverty of Nepal and I have many wonderful memories of the people. It affected me in a positive way.
I can remember balmy evenings walking around the Thamel quarter of Kathmandu, bartering with my rupees for a colourful handmade shirt. I still have it. I visited temples and some beautiful gardens. I went to the famous Rum Doodle restaurant at the mythical, fictional 40,000-and-a-half feet altitude with the signatures of all the mountaineers who had summited Everest-Sagarmatha, and we had the privilege to sign a foot.
I also made a trip to Everest – Sagarmatha – or I should say I made a trip to view the summit, in case anyone was wondering.
I also had with me, only because it’s here all the time, this little travel Bible. I remember sitting in the gardens of the Yak & Yeti Hotel in Kathmandu reading this Bible, in the book of James, recommended reading in the peace of that place, and I remember very vividly receiving some wonderful inspiration in that moment. So, it’s very precious to me. I carry it around this building and I was sworn in on this Bible, with memories of Nepal, only last year when we came back to this House after the election.
But as nobody listening will be surprised to hear, none of those special memories are eclipsed by the memories of the people I met with over the course of those travels. The Nepali people I encountered were full of kindness, a profound gentleness, humility and a very quiet and peaceful nature. That’s what I experienced everywhere. I know it’s a big generalisation to make about an entire culture, but I can say from my experience that it is an accurate generalisation of the Nepali people and their culture.
Today, those memories make this terrible tragedy feel especially deep and personal for many. Our state is blessed with a large number of people who call Tasmania home who were born in Nepal. They’ve brought with them that same kindness, goodness, humility and generosity, that quiet and humble spirit of peacefulness to our culture and made us all the stronger for it.
Northern Tasmania, my area, is home to around 3000 Nepali people. They’re our neighbours and friends. They care for Tasmanians in our hospitals and aged care facilities, they are our bus drivers, IT professionals, entrepreneurs and, of course, they’re students. They are contributing, in particular, in areas of skills in demand or skills shortages, job vacancies that would remain vacant were it not for their willingness to be part of our community.
And, as the member for Clark highlighted, they also bring with them their extraordinary love of what surely must be Nepal’s national sport, cricket. You might have thought it was an English sport but it’s very much a Nepali sport. Without boasting, I can say I sent a few overs down the wicket during one of the tournaments of the Nepali Cricket League at Riverside. I took no wickets.
The Nepali community of northern Tasmania deserves a special mention here today. Only recently they provided hospitality and cultural enrichment to northern Tasmania at the Civic Square with the celebration of the Nepali New Year festival. It was a wonderful event. There were many people there, Nepali, Australian, and people from other backgrounds.
When I recall how many people were at that special event in April, I think of how much pain is being felt in Launceston, in northern Tasmania, as we speak. That’s just a small slice of the global pain that’s being felt by people who love and care for family members back home, people who are desperately hoping that the person they love and care for is still alive, can still be found and still be saved, like that precious child we saw rescued by those brave rescuers at the weekend after, I think, two days under the rubble. Thank God for that. I’m thinking of those people.
This tragedy also comes very close to home for us here in this Parliament. Three people who work here are from Nepal, our Parliament House staff members Anil and Prajita, and one of our contract security guards, Bir. Those three go about their work quietly and efficiently, one keeping us safe and two keeping this place looking amazing.
What the three of them are contributing, like the rest of their team mates, allows us to go about our business as members of this House and this parliament to provide good government and democracy for the people of Tasmania.
I’m pleased to report that, as best we know, their families back home are safe and well. But they know people who are missing and are deeply affected by this tragedy. They know of friends and other loved ones who remain missing. I particularly want them to know today that their parliamentary family is thinking of them as well.
I have a specific purpose in mentioning this because I want everyone listening to know just how connected every part of the Tasmanian way of life is, whether it’s city, suburb or region, to this terrible global tragedy. The pain being felt in Nepal is being felt around our community. It’s much deeper than the six o’clock news. We are connected and we want to stand with you, our fellow community members.
I say to Tasmania’s Nepali community, particularly to my friends and neighbours in northern Tasmania in and around Bass, we are grieving with you and we’re hoping for you.
Nepal gave me some conversations, memories and personal growth, and I’m always going to be grateful for that.
At this really terrible time, may the people of Nepal, near and far, know that they’re being remembered here in Tasmania, that they’re appreciated, that we are digging deep and donating to the relief effort, that they are in my prayers and those of my family around our dinner table.
I support the motion and hope for the very best for the Nepali nation.
Members – Hear, hear.
