On the 23rd of October 2018, Luke Foley MP, tabled a Private Members Statement, which raised the matter of Oleg Sentsov and welcomed Team Ukraine to Australia for the Invictus Games.
On the matter of Sentsov, Mr Foley stated: “I add my voice to the many thousands of voices around the world calling for the immediate release of Oleg Sentsov from his frozen Russian prison. In recent months many Australians of Ukrainian background from my electorate of Auburn and beyond have raised with me the plight of Oleg Sentsov. Mr Sentsov is a Ukrainian filmmaker who was arrested after protesting against Russia’s annexation of Crimea”.
He went on to accentuate International support for Sentsov citing American, Canadian Government stances as well as the European Union.
In touching upon the Invictus Games and Team Ukraine’s arrival, Mr Foley said: “On a far happier note, last Friday it was my privilege to welcome to Parliament many members of the Ukrainian community in Australia—including those from my electorate of Auburn—to greet members of Team Ukraine, representing one of 18 nations participating in the Invictus Games Sydney. This team is unique in that at the moment Ukraine is fighting a war against Russian aggression on its own soil. Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine are occupied by an aggressive Russia under Putin. Last Friday I met and was able to honour the heroes from Team Ukraine who came to Australia’s oldest Parliament. It was an honour for me to welcome them”.
Thank you Mr Foley for your support of Ukraine and the community here in Australia.
You can read the full statement from NSW Parliament Hansard here.
