(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Former Australian Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hon. Scott Morrison arrived in the island last Wednesday (July 17) on the invitation of Mr. Don Susantha Katugampala, Chairman and Founder of Fairfields Lawyers to further strengthen ties between Australia and Sri Lanka.
Speaking at a special reception held at Ahasa, The Sky Bridge at ITC Ratnadipa on Friday (July 19), Mr. Don Susantha Katugampala welcomed the guests and said that he has a moral obligation to support this country.
Having spent 34 years of his life in Australia, practicing immigration law for the past 25 years, Mr. Katugampala believes that he is sort of responsible for the brain drain out of this country.
“Therefore, I believe that I have a moral obligation to support Sri Lanka, which I have been doing all these years. Although I live in Australia, my heart is with Sri Lanka,” he added.
He said that during his journey he had come across many political leaders in Sri Lanka, Australia and in many other countries as well. “During this journey I came across one Prime Minister who was responsible for so much good work as a Prime Minister and also as a Treasurer. “I observed him during COVID. He was the Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, and he did an amazing job for Australia, for its people, and the economy, and he saved the economy. So I thought that this experience is something that I should share with Sri Lanka.”
“As such I’m very grateful to Honorable Scott Morrison who has been an outstanding Immigration Minister, outstanding Finance Minister, Treasurer in Australian terms and the Prime Minister for agreeing to visit Sri Lanka because he has a passion for Sri Lanka. He felt that Sri Lanka is an important place and he says Sri Lanka matters. It is a privilege for me because Fairfields Lawyers is celebrating 25 years of practice and instead of celebrating success stories or legal practice being a Sri Lankan, I believe that it would be good if I can support Sri Lanka even in a small way.”
In his opening remarks former Prime Minister of Australia, Hon. Scott Morrison said it was wonderful to be in Colombo.
“It is wonderful to be here with my friend Don, and congratulations to you, Don, on 25 years of Fairfields Lawyers. So that’s tremendous, and it’s great that you can be acknowledging that here in your homeland, which I know you feel very passionate about. It was that passion in part that encouraged me to come back to visit Sri Lanka again.”
He recalled his previous visits to Sri Lanka and said a lot has changed over a period of time. “The very hotel I’m staying in at the moment was not here when I first came. The Galle Face Hotel was here though.”
“Colombo is a wonderful, rich, exciting city, and I think for the Australians who have the opportunity to come here, I think they always get a really great surprise about what they find. The diversity of the city is exciting. The restaurants, attractions, cultural activities are very, very rich, and so when people come to Sri Lanka, and if you have come from Australia, I would encourage you to certainly go and experience the world-class resorts and attractions all around the country. Now in my time here I have been up to Jaffna, not on this occasion, but I have been there several times. I have even been to Kilinochchi and had a curry in Kilinochchi with some old colleagues at the time,” he recalled further.
Mr. Morrison further said that the Admiral, who was the Ambassador of Australia, is here with us tonight, as were others who he met when Australia gifted a Bay-class vessel to Sri Lanka many years ago. “We visited Trincomalee Harbor and the naval officers were very proud of Trincomalee Harbor. They recalled how Lord Nelson said that Trincomalee was the best harbor in the world.”
“Trincomalee is an absolutely remarkable place. I think that’s what Australians find when they come here; about the diversity that Sri Lanka has to offer. The other reason I came to Sri Lanka at Don’s urging was to show some solidarity with Sri Lankans. Sri Lankans are great friends of Australia.”
He further said that there is a wonderful people-to-people relationship between Sri Lanka and Australia. “It is warm, it is real, and it is across all the things we love, such as cricket, food and all of these things. Sri Lanka has been through, over the last, I could say decade, but I could equally say 40 years, some of the most difficult times that any nation would ever have to confront. What struck me about the people of Sri Lanka and my dear friends from Sri Lanka, many of whom are here tonight, has been the resilience of the Sri Lankan people. Despite what is thrown at you, you love life, you love your families, you love your communities, you love your country. You stand by it, you stand by each other, you push through, and that’s what gives me a lot of optimism about Sri Lanka.”
“As we stand in this magnificent hotel on this bridge looking over the sea, I think it is a monument to showcase the resilience of Sri Lanka; how this has come out of the ground and been built over the last decade. I remember when I came here the first time, it was just a hoarding along the side of the road.”
“I think over a period of time when you have faced so many difficulties, to see that occur is a tremendous credit to Sri Lanka. I would urge all Sri Lankans; you have a very important choice to make in the months ahead, and it is not for Australians to interfere in how you make that decision. You are a great and vibrant democracy, and of that you should be immensely proud. But the work that is being done to bring stability back to Sri Lanka in the last couple of years since the economic crisis has been truly extraordinary. It has been courageous. It has involved great sacrifices by the people of Sri Lanka and some courageous decision-making by your President, who came into that office in some ways reluctantly, but was the man for the time to come and step up for his country, as he has done many times before. The President and I have met on many occasions over the last decade or more, and so I pay credit to his leadership here in his time over such a difficult period and to put Sri Lanka in a place where you can go forward. But how you do that is up to you. You will make that decision in the next few months. But what I would urge you to do is to stick to the plan, to stick to that commitment and resilience for which you are well known,” Mr. Morrison added.
He further acknowledged the entrepreneurialism, energy and vibrancy of the people of Sri Lanka. “It is on display all around the city and all around the country. With what you have been able to achieve, you will only go on to achieve even more. But to do that, you need a strong economy, you need a stable democracy, and you need to be close to your friends and partners like Australia and others, who will always want to see you be successful and enjoy the sovereignty which you have fought so hard for.”
Mr. Morrison further thanked Mr. Katugampala for the warm hospitality and wished him the best for his future endeavors. “I congratulate you, Don, and your organization for everything that you have been able to achieve, but particularly for inviting me to come back and spend quality time I have had here over the last few days. I’ll certainly be leaving here with a strong message to all of those I come in contact with about what is happening here in Sri Lanka and why the rest of the world should be confident that Sri Lanka will rise again and be able to achieve great things.”
Mr. Susantha Katugampala further invited Sri Lankans to visit Australia if they have never been there before. “We support our countries and we support our people as well. But never forget your country and return your support back to Sri Lanka.”
Many esteemed guests including Tourism Board Chairman, former Navy Commander Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner to Australia graced the occasion.
