Mr Hawke said the occasion is a fitting celebration as more and more Australians are vaccinated against COVID-19 every day, and we are able to gather again as a community.
"As we begin to reopen, I look forward to seeing people dressed in their finest clothes and coming to together to light the diya lamps, sharing in the joy and festivity of Diwali," he said.
He added that while some Diwali celebrations will again be different from previous years, "I hope to see more family reunions ahead, made easier by the Government’s recent decision to recognise parents as immediate family for the purpose of international travel."
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