Brimbank Mayoral Acceptance Speech

I am deeply honoured and humbled to be elected as the Mayor of our wonderful city. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the Councillors, residents, volunteers, and friends who have placed their trust in me. Your support and confidence drive my commitment to serve Brimbank community with dedication and integrity.

As a refugee, my late mother always told us how lucky we are to live in Australia and that we must pay back to this country. I was born during the Vietnam War and experienced a terrifying escape by sea and a tough start in South Australia. Growing up in Australia, I feel incredibly fortunate to call this country home. Moving to Brimbank 17 years ago and choosing Brimbank as my hometown has made me even luckier. I’ve had many opportunities to lead and contribute to various projects in Brimbank, and across Victoria.

Now, I have the chance to lead a city where almost 100,000 residents were born overseas, and over 55% speak a language other than English at home. This diversity brings different perspectives and new ideas, though it can also present challenges like communication barriers and cultural conflicts. I embrace this enormous responsibility and see it as a huge opportunity to make a difference in our municipality. I welcome any opportunity from the community to make our city the best it can be.

I am committed to working hard to address the needs and concerns of all our residents and to ensure our municipality continues to thrive. My goals include youth and women empowerment, multicultural engagement, mental health, climate change, and sustainability. I will continue to build strong partnerships with the federal, and state governments and stakeholders to build on our successes. I am also committed to good governance, kindness, and inclusion in my role as Mayor. I will work well with all Councillors and the executive team to ensure every decision and action aligns with our community vision. Together, we will strive to create an inclusive, thriving, and vibrant city.

A special thank you to my family, friends, and the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to support this journey. Your dedication and hard work have been truly inspiring, and I am grateful for your unwavering support.

Before ending my speech, I would like to share a few words in Vietnamese dedicated to my late parents, whom I believe are always by my side.

Thưa ba mẹ, con rất tiếc là mẹ không chờ thêm được vài tháng để chứng kiến ngày hôm nay của con. Con xin cám ơn ba mẹ đã đưa con đến bến bờ tự do, luôn khích lệ con học, sống thật tốt với mọi người và trả ơn nước Úc. Con luôn tự hào là con của ba mẹ và con có được đức tính nhân hậu của ba mẹ, luôn muốn kết nối mọi người ngồi lại với nhau cùng đóng góp cho xã hội. Con sẽ luôn ghi nhớ cách sống mà trong phút cuối, ba đã nhắc nhỡ con “đối xử với mọi người như con muốn họ đối lại với con”. Con thương ba mẹ nhiều lắm.

And now I want to share with you my words to my late parents:

Dear Mom and Dad, I’m sorry that Mom couldn’t wait for a few months to be here today. Thank you both for bringing me to a free country, always encouraging me to study, be kind to others, and give back to Australia. I’m proud to be your child and to have inherited your kindness, always wanting to bring people together to help society. I’ll always remember Dad’s last advice: “Treat others as you want to be treated.” I love you both very much.

Thank you once again for this incredible opportunity. I commit to serving the residents of Brimbank to the best of my abilities with enthusiasm, compassion, and devotion to our community. I look forward to continuing to work with our Councillors, Monitors, CEO, executive team, and stakeholders to ensure a strong and sustainable future for our community.