Federal Minister for Housing and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar MP paid a visit to the Greek Centre in Melbourne on Wednesday and praised the Greek Community of Melbourne’s (GCM) role within the Greek community.

The minister was taken on a tour of the 15 storey Greek centre by the GCM president Bill Papastergiardis and the Greek Centre’s director, Jorge Menidis who spoke of his Lebanese background and the many similarities between the multicultural communities.

Mr Sukkar who said the Greek community was one of the beacons of multiculturalism in Australia, added that he was impressed by the services that the Centre offered and said that it was important that the GCM offered its services and spaces in the centre to other community groups.

He also expressed an interest in the GCM’s educational and cultural programmes. Mr Menidis explained to the minister that the development of its education services was a core practise of the GCM.

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He said that the the education of third-, fourth and fifth-generation groups continued today and its programme were included in pre-school prorgammes  and the GCM’s active support of tertiary education through its connection with universities nationally and abroad. He noted that the GCM had facilitated with Federal Government support the creation of the Hellenic Chair of Diasporic Studies at the University of Melbourne.

The minister said that while the COVID-19 pandemic had affected Australia socially and economically, he was pleased to witness Australia’s rapid economic and jobs’ recovery.

In thanking the minister for his visit, Mr Papastergiadis noted that: “It is important for organisations like ours to have the ear of Government. Through these conversations we can provide “on-the-ground” briefings on the key issues confronting ethnic groups.

“We can ‘bounce ideas and projects’ with the country’s key decisionmakers and, as we have seen in the past, this leads to direct action and results.”

Mr Papastergiardis also said that it was heartening to see people of diverse backgrounds in the federal cabinet.

“The notion of diversity has to be applied broadly. We need to have people of different ethnic backgrounds in parliament so as to truly reflect the cosmopolitan nature of Australia,” said Mr Papastergiadis.