Fowler MP Dai Le delivers emotional first speech in parliament wearing Australia flag

She came to Australia on a rocky boat fleeing a fallen Saigon. Today, with 250 supporters in tow, Fowler MP Dai Le delivered an emotional first speech in parliament wearing a Vietnamese ao dai made of the Australian flag.

Dressed in the traditional Vietnamese ao dai made out of the Australian flag and designed by a Western Sydney dressmaker, Fowler MP Dai Le has delivered a powerful maiden speech revealing how she nearly died escaping Saigon for Australia.

Independent Ms Le, who brutally defeated Labor veteran Kristina Keneally to win the southwest Sydney seat, said her bold outfit was a symbol for refugees and migrants wanting to call Australia home.

“I hope that I'm the success story in that I’m proudly an Australian but also proudly I’m also of Vietnamese heritage,” she said.

In parliament, she thanked the country for welcoming her family as they escaped a falling Saigon, revealing how her mother had clutched rosary beads as they fled on a boat.

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

Ms Le wore an Australian flag print ao dai. Picture: Gary Ramage

She hoped her outfit and her journey would be an inspiration to others. Picture: Gary Ramage

“Fowler, you fought for me and stood up for me and I will fight for you.”

She used her time to advocate for better housing, public transport and social initiatives for refugees and migrants as the government pushes to aggressively recruit foreign workers to plug skills shortages.

“The government must take responsibility in building more homes, providing affordable housing, providing infrastructure such as public transport, schools,” she said.

“(Without that) you’re setting people up to fail.”

Dai Le gives her maiden speech in parliament.

Ms Le brought with her a 250-strong contingent of supporters on five hired buses — many of whom had never before been to the nation’s parliament.

“I had to actually order a bus … from two buses, we ended up having five because people were just excited to come,” she said.

“Majority of them are elderly people. There are about 200 and another 50 who drove themselves … Some people donated bags of little snacks.”

Ms Le said she spent about $7000 of her own money to fund the day trip for her supporters who clapped and chanted her name as she ended an emotional speech detailing her traumatic journey to Australia.

“I remember how my face almost hit the ocean as our boat rocked so hard … the ocean was pitch dark and all I could think was I would fall into this black abyss,” she told parliament.

Ms Le said refugees at her camp dubbed Australia the “Island with the best education system in the world” before describing the moments she tasted her first Anzac biscuit.

“We were filled with hope as we looked out into the horizon at endless possibilities … This migration story belongs to all of us, it's our story.”