The Hon Kon Vatskalis MLA, is not just a Minister. He is the Northern Territory Minister for Business and Employment, Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources , Minister for Tourism.
Costas Vatskalis was born on the island of Kefallonia in 1957 but he lived in and was educated in Athens until 1983, when he decided to immigrate to Australia with his Australian wife. He studied public health in Perth and, following his first wife’s death in 1988, he remarried and moved to Port Hedland and then Darwin.
Since coming to Australia, Mr Vatskalis has been passionately involved in politics. A Labour candidate in Perth, in Darwin he established the greek-speaking department of the Labour party. For years he worked for the benefit of the greek society, he taught greek, and had a greek radio show. As a Darwin MP, he assisted in creating a greek department at tertiary level.
In 2001, he was a candidate for Casuarina and won the seat from the Liberals, who had held it for 27 years. His percentage in the elections was 55% back then, 68,5% in 2005 and 64% in 2008.
He could have hardly imagined that from the suburb of Ilioupolis in Athens, he would end up a Member of Parliament and within a week’s time from his election, be voted in a Minister !
As the Tourism Minister, Mr Vatskalis speaks with pride concerning the natural beauties of his state. “A tourist will never find the same beauties and starking contrasts as he will in the Northern Territory. There are tropical forests, red sand deserts, huge national parks, wonderful beaches, wetlands and unique animal and plant species. There is everything and nowhere in the world can one see as many stars in the sky with a naked eye.”
He also says that his state is inhabited by 101 different nationalities who speak 120 different languages, which all create a uniquely multicultural society. Darwin has around 7,500 greeks which consist about 10%of the total population of the city, most of which are from the island of Kalymnos. The first greek settlers arrived in 1876 and have offered a lot towards the development of the state.
Mr Vatskalis is the longest standing NT minister, and is determined to remain in politics as long as his voters –many of whom are Aboriginals- continue to trust in him. “The key to success”, he says, “is to be down-to-earth, to pay attention to people’s needs, to be disciplined, to be fair and honest and to consider oneself as the servant of the people.”
Source: omogenia.ana-mpa.gr
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