Australian independent MP Dai Le has given a powerful maiden speech in which she recounted her journey of fleeing Vietnam, expressed gratitude for Australian values, criticised pandemic lockdowns and urged the government to unlock the potential of the migrant workforce.
The Vietnamese-born MP was known for having defeated high-profile Labor senator Kristina Keneally for the seat of Fowler, a Western Sydney electorate made up primarily of migrants and refugees and low to middle-income families.
Wearing an áo dài—a traditional Vietnamese dress—emblazoned with the Australian flag, Le said she wants to “combine both worlds, the two worlds I constantly straddle.”…