[Jade Benham] Benham meets with Italian Ambassador
TL;DR
The Nationals' Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, recently had the pleasure of meeting and enjoying lunch with the newly appointed Ambassador of Italy to Australia, His Excellency Nicola Lener, and...
Location
Mildura
The Nationals' Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, recently had the pleasure of meeting and enjoying lunch with the newly appointed Ambassador of Italy to Australia, His Excellency Nicola Lener, and Consul General Chiara Mauri.
Ms Benham, who proudly spoke about her Italian heritage during the meeting, joked that she was "the Calabrese peasant in a room full of refined Northerners," sharing a laugh with the distinguished party.
The conversation highlighted the profound and ongoing impact the Italian community has had on the Mildura region, from agriculture to culture, and the importance of maintaining strong ties between Italy and regional Victoria.
As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Italy Group in Victoria, a bipartisan group established to deepen cooperation and strengthen links between Italy and the Victorian Parliament, Ms Benham emphasised the value of dialogue between legislators and the Italian community.
"Meeting with Ambassador Lener and Consul General Mauri was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the long-standing contributions of the Italian community in our region and to explore ways we can continue to strengthen connections between Italy and Victoria," Ms Benham said.
Ms Benham also extended a warm invitation to Ambassador Lener and Consul General Mauri to visit the Mildura region, where they can experience the region's Italian heritage and local industries firsthand.
"I look forward to continuing the relationship and working closely with the Italian Ambassador and Consul General to support the Italian community in Victoria and foster collaboration on projects that benefit regional communities."