Distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen
Daba Namona iboumuiai, Good morning, everyone!

On behalf of the PNGFQI and all our fantastic volunteers, I welcome you all to our cultural celebration in honour of Papua New Guinea's 51s Independence Anniversary.
The PNGFQI key objective is to advance the culture of the Papua New Guinean people, and we do that by promoting and maintaining PNG's rich cultural heritage and national identity.
We are a diverse grouping of people in Qld who all enjoy and treasure our connection to PNG. Some from many years ago and some recently.
That connection inspires us all to do more and explore our immense potential.
Today, we gather in our traditional attire to celebrate through dance and singing in our various cultural groupings. We also promote our local foods and our art and craft.
Over many weekends this year, we have gathered, shared stories, and practiced with pride for today. In that time and today, we pass on to our children those special traditions and customs, as expected by our parents and grandparents.
Despite living away from our homeland, we remain proud to celebrate as one people.
It remains our duty to our children (including children born outside of PNG) to teach them our languages and customs.
We thank the government and people of Australia for encouraging us to preserve our culture and traditions in a respectful manner.
Today, we celebrate here on this oval. One day, we will have our own home, a cultural centre, and a venue to meet and celebrate together. We look forward to the PNG Chiefs entering the NRL, and our home in Brisbane can be the Chiefs' first home away from home.
God bless you all

Stephen Kassman
President
PNGFQI