Message from the Chair, Lynne Haultain
The past few months have been full of activity at Foundation House, with a myriad of projects, programs and events keeping us all very busy indeed.

We were honoured that retiring MP, Mr Petro Georgiou, accepted an invitation to deliver our annual oration on June 29. Petro has a deep and ongoing commitment to the plight of refugees and asylum seekers, particularly in the area of mandatory detention. In 2005, Petro introduced a private member’s bill on this issue, which resulted in significant reform. After some 35 years in politics, Petro has decided to move on and will not be contesting his Kooyong seat at the next election. While he will be missed by many in the political world, he will be particularly missed by organisations such as ours for his genuine and unwavering dedication to refugee issues, his razor-sharp intellect and, most importantly, his compassion. You can read more about the oration and download Petro’s speaking notes in this issue of HouseNotes.

You can also read about the official opening of our new Dandenong office in May, quite a number of months after we actually moved in, which—as we never need an excuse to throw a good party—just goes to show how frantic we all are! We’d like to thank Department of Immigration and Citizenship State Director, Mr Jose Alvarez, for his attendance and speech on the day.

I do hope you were able to get to one or two of the many events that took place in Victoria and other states during Refugee Week (June 20–26) and on World Refugee Day (June 20). Both events celebrate the courage and resilience of refugees and asylum seekers and the many positive contributions they have made to our community. The global theme for World Refugee Day this year was ‘Home’, a concept many of us in richer, safer countries often take for granted. Foundation House has always acknowledged the importance of ‘home’ for our clients and the sense of belonging and dignity a safe haven offers an individual and their family.

And finally, I can't sign off without acknowledging the appointment of Australia's first female Prime Minister, Ms Julia Gillard. With a federal election now slated for August 21, we look forward to working with the Government under Ms Gillard's or Mr Tony Abbott's stewardship and will continue to advocate for the protection and rights of those who have come to Australia in search of stability, security and a better life.