Left to right: Maria Vamvakinou Steve Georganas, John Lesses , President of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia, President of the Queensland Greek Community Michael Anastasia, and the President of Ahepa Youth.
Peter Adamis Voice from the Pavement 14 may 2014
The Australian Government after many years of negotiations has signed an agreement recognising working holiday visas between Greece and Australia.
After many years of endless discussion the agreement signed in Parliament, Canberra today. The Australian Greek community welcomes the agreement and look forward to an influx of new arrivals that will enhance the Australian Hellenic communities that reside within the Commonwealth of Australia.
Suffice to say after years of negotiations and advocacy by the former ALP Minister of Immigration Chris Bowen and Federal Members of Parliament of Greek descent Federal Member for Calwell Maria Vamvakinou and former Member for Hindmarsh Steve Georganas are pleased with the outcome.
The agreement would not have been possible without the Liberal Party Ministers bipartisan approach that all outstanding details were finally hammered out to the satisfaction of both stakeholders. It is ironic that despite the many years of discussion, the Labor government was unable to come to an agreement with Greece which appeared reluctant to come to the table like many other European Union countries and that it was signed under a Liberal Government.
Maria Vamvakinou with former Federal Member for Hindmarsh -Steve Georganas and the Greek Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni.
What this means for the youth of Greece which is currently at all time high unemployment rate is that they can travel to Australia on a working visa and feel comfortable in the knowledge that there are communities of the Australians of Greek heritage who migrated many years before and will not feel alienated.
This working visa will also boost the local Australian Hellenic communities with a new and rich source of cultural interchange and transfer of knowledge and skills. It will also create new and innovative jobs and employment opportunities for enterprising employer and dynamic organisations.
The Voice from the Pavement – Peter Adamis is a Journalist/Commentator and writer. He is a retired Australian military serviceman and an Industry organisational & Occupational (OHS) & Training Consultant whose interests are within the parameters of domestic and international political spectrum. He is an avid blogger and contributes to domestic and international community news media outlets as well as to local and Ethnic News. He holds a Bachelor of Adult Learning & Development (Monash), Grad Dip Occupational Health & Safety, (Monash), Dip. Training & Assessment, Dip Public Administration, and Dip Frontline