‘I thought I would die’: Dai Le delivers emotional first speech

Independent MP Dai Le has broken down while sharing memories of her refugee past during her first speech to parliament.

Newly elected MP Dai Le has delivered an emotional first speech to parliament, choking up as she recalled fleeing communist Vietnam as a child.

The independent sensationally defeated former NSW premier and senator Kristina Keneally to capture the traditionally safe Labor seat of Fowler in Sydney’s west.

Ms Le fought back tears as she told the house she came close to death after she escaped her home country by boat during the Vietnam War.

“I remember running with my mother and two younger sisters scrambling to make our way onto a boat and pushing through the cries and screams of women,” she said.

“I looked back at my birth country to try and comprehend what was happening and just saw a big black smoke in the distance.

“I thought we would die when a huge storm hit our boat. All I could hear was a storm, terrified we wouldn’t survive because none of us could swim.”

Dai Le addressed the house in a traditional Vietnamese dress. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Le, who addressed parliament wearing an ao dai – a traditional Vietnamese dress – decorated with the Australian flag, spoke of her childhood in refugee camps and her early life in Sydney.

“I remember the years in refugee camps dreaming of being able to lie in a proper bed, to have a proper home, and to go to a proper school,” she said.

“Australia, you welcome to my mother, my family with open arms. You gave us comfort food and a warm bed to sleep in.

“This migration story belongs to all of us.”

Ms Le said her community were the “forgotten people,” harking back to the harsh rules that were placed on Sydney’s west during the 2021 lockdown.

She said her community was forgotten. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We weren’t allowed to travel beyond the 5km radius from our homes. We were told to get travel permits. We were forced to get tested every three days. Every day, we had helicopters flying around our area, police on horseback,” she said.

“The last time I looked, a government that takes away individuals’ freedom to choose how they want to live, work and raise families was called a communist dictatorship.”

The independent said she welcomed the government’s decision to lift the migration cap, but she cautioned it must take a role in making sure those who came here prospered.

“We cannot simply increase migration and then let these new migrants fend for themselves in a foreign country, leaving them feeling marginalised and demonised,” she said.

“It is the responsibility of government to ensure systems and plans are in place to enable a productive, cohesive and connected society.”

Ms Le’s speech received a lengthy standing ovation by her supporters in the gallery, with Speaker Milton Dick having to intervene to ask them to politely take their seats as they chanted her name.

Originally published as ‘I thought I would die’: Dai Le delivers emotional first speech