Independent MP Dai Le pushes back on claims Australia is racist as she tearfully recalls how the country gave her family a ‘new start’ in life

Independent MP Dai Le has spoken about gratitude she feels towards Australia for giving her family a “start in life” during an emotional interview with Sky News Australia host Laura Jayes.

Ms Le told the harrowing story of her family’s escape from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975 during her maiden speech to parliament last year.

She opened up on that experience again on Thursday wiping away tears as she revealed her mother, who made the journey to Australia with her, had recently died.  

“I’m going to get emotional here Laura,” she told Jayes, pausing to compose herself.

“Australia gave my late mother and sisters a start in life. I’m sorry, it’s just my mother passed away just so recently.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunities.”

Ms Le, who defeated Labor’s Kristina Keneally at the last federal election, cited her electorate of Fowler in Sydney’s southwest as an example of a flourishing, multicultural community home to many immigrants who made the journey to Australia. 

The electorate has a high percentage of residents with Vietnamese and Chinese ancestry, according to the latest census data.

Ms Ley said her electorate is an example of the “new Australia,” and pushed back on claims the country could be considered racist following a recent media storm related to the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum. 

“Of course, they are people who are racist, but it doesn’t mean Australia is a racist country. Far from it, we are … in the Southeast Asian region and we have become a multicultural country,” she said. 

“We are embracing that.”

The Independent MP’s interview comes after prominent Yes campaigner Professor Marcia Langton came under fire for resurfaced comments describing Australia as a “horrible, racist country” and branded some arguments of the ‘No’ case as “sheer stupidity”.

Ms Le argued it is unhelpful to bring issues like race into the Voice debate.

“It doesn’t help that when we come to this referendum … to bring race into it. It just doesn’t help,” Ms Le said.  

Ms Le also revealed what drove her decision to wear an Australian flag outfit in her powerful speech to parliament last year and spoke to the support she received from her community in the days after.

Dai Le delivered her maiden speech to parliament in Canberra last year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

She chose to wear a dress made with the Australian flag design. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“That’s why I wore my Australian dress, the flag, because I love Australia,” she said.

“As an Australian of Vietnamese heritage and I know of other Australians in my Fowler electorate of diverse backgrounds who really appreciate and love the fact that I stood up and wore that Australian flag dress.

“Because they are, they came to Australia because they wanted a new life and the freedom that we are experience here.”

SOURCE: SKYNEWS