A New Chapter for Africa–WA Relations Begins in Perth

African community leaders, parliamentarians and supporters recently gathered at Western Australia’s Parliament House in Perth for a reception hosted by the WA Parliamentary Friends of Africa, bringing community voices and political representatives together to discuss the growing contribution and presence of African communities in the state.

The reception brought together Premier Roger Cook, Minister for Multicultural Interests Jessica Stojkovski MLA, Ayor Makur Chuot MLC, Dr Casty Nyaga Hughes, African community leaders and other participants. The gathering provided an opportunity for people working across government, community organisations and professional networks to meet in a setting rarely accessible to community conversations.

The Parliamentary Friends of Africa group was established to strengthen relationships between Western Australian parliamentarians and African communities in the state, as well as with people and institutions across Africa. Its stated objective is to provide opportunities for MPs from across parties to build stronger connections with African communities and people in African countries.

Ayor Makur Chuot , member of Western Australian Australian Legislative Council

For African Australians, that relationship has practical importance. Engagement with elected representatives can provide pathways for communities to raise issues affecting migration, education, employment, youth development, settlement, cultural participation and access to government services.

The significance of creating those channels has previously been highlighted by Ayor Makur Chuot in the Western Australian Parliament. Speaking about an earlier Parliamentary Friends of Africa event, she said it was “really important for us as parliamentarians to connect with the communities that we represent and make sure they have that sense of belonging.”

Jessica Stojkovski, WA Minister for Multicultural Interests

That emphasis on belonging is particularly relevant in a state as culturally diverse as Western Australia. The state government’s current multicultural planning framework identifies inclusion, participation, equity and a sense of belonging as important elements of a cohesive community.

African community organisations are increasingly part of that broader multicultural landscape. Government consultations on Western Australia’s proposed multicultural framework included African community representatives alongside leaders from other culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The consultation process involved hundreds of participants across metropolitan and regional Western Australia, demonstrating the growing importance of community voices in shaping policy.

Dr Casty Nyaga Hughes, Community leader, president of OACWA

The reception also comes amid growing attention to Australia’s relationship with African countries in areas including trade, investment, education and professional exchange. A federal parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s trade and investment relations with Africa held a public hearing in Perth earlier this year, with evidence examining opportunities in education partnerships and the role of African diaspora communities in facilitating trade and investment.

For community members, the value of such events ultimately lies in whether relationships developed inside Parliament translate into greater understanding and practical engagement outside it. Bringing community representatives together with decision-makers can help ensure that discussions about multiculturalism and Australia–Africa relations reflect the experiences of people who live, work, study and build families in Western Australia.

As the state’s African population and its professional, cultural and economic contribution continue to develop, the conversation between Parliament and community becomes an important part of ensuring that African Australians are not simply represented in Western Australia’s multicultural story, but are active participants in shaping it.