Mr SERCOMBE(3.36 p.m.) —Whilst I cannot claim the close family association that my colleagues the members for Franklin (Mr Quick) and Port Adelaide (Mr Sawford) have with members of the Baltic communities, nonetheless, as a member who represents one of the most ethnically diverse electorates in Australia, it is a great pleasure to join in support of this motion. I believe that people who have arrived in Australia from the three Baltic nations have contributed quite disproportionately in terms of their numbers to the development of Australia as a vibrant, diverse, rich multicultural society—the society we enjoy today.

These people, as displaced persons, had experienced some of the worst horrors the 20th century had to throw at them, particularly and most obviously in the context of the Second World War. The three republics were, first of all, annexed by the Soviet Union, then occupied by the Nazis, and subsequently reoccupied by the Soviet Union. The people who arrived in Australia on 28 November 1947—the member for Lowe (Mr Zammit) referred to the General Stuart Heintzelmann as the US transport ship that arrived in Fremantle on that date—were the start of a wave of immigrants to this country, a wave of people who have made very substantial contributions to Australian society in the terms that we have heard other members refer to.

Their importance goes way beyond that because they were the first postwar wave of non-English speaking immigrants to arrive in this country. They were certainly seen by the then pioneer of immigration to Australia, Arthur Calwell, as a very important pioneering group in terms of the capacity of the Australian community to subsequently accept and adjust—in the way in which all Australians can be immensely proud—to much larger successive waves of people who have arrived from all over the world.

This group of people from the Baltic nations certainly made a huge contribution as the pioneers of that great wave of post Second World War migration to Australia. They worked on Australian icons like the Snowy Mountains scheme. They contributed in all sorts of other ways. Several of the most notable members of the community have already been mentioned.

The member for Franklin referred to Olegas Truchanas, who was an environmental pioneer. The member for Canning (Mrs Johnston) referred to that great Estonian who arrived as a displaced person, Sir Arvi Parbo. As a great sporting nation, Australians do not forget those Latvians, Ilsa and John Konrads. Amazingly, Ilsa broke 12 individual world records and helped set three world freestyle relay records. John broke six world records in one week and by 1959 had won every freestyle event at the Australian swimming championships. These people, from whatever walk of life and whether they have come from Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania, have contributed massively to Australia as a multicultural nation.

They are immensely proud and have maintained their traditions from their homelands and have made outstanding efforts to pass those traditions on to their tens of thousands of descendants who are now Australian citizens. They have taken very considerable pride in seeing their former homelands become independent republics which are increasingly integrated and are increasingly building their links with other parts of Europe. At the same time, they have made—as I have said and other speakers have said—outstanding contributions to Australian society.

It is for that reason that in conclusion I ought to underline the very considerable importance—in the debate about aged care that this parliament is giving some attention to—of the particular needs of smaller ethnic communities, such as the three we have referred to today. These people came out as fit and healthy young men and women 50 years ago. Unfortunately, time is not kind to any of us. In their advanced years they are entitled, I believe, to much more active and considered attention to their cultural and language needs. I think that is a matter that we should not neglect as the debate on aged care continues in this parliament. (Time expired)