Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is an example of how it does work. I was one of those kids that was brought up in that environment. Subsequent decades brought more waves of migrants. They brought the Vietnamese, they brought a whole range of people from all over the world, wave after wave. As I said, Cowandilla, my own primary school, continues to have enrolments of kids from non-English-speaking backgrounds. The enrolment is 338 and 231 are from non-English-speaking backgrounds, there are 22 Aboriginal enrolments and nine new rival program classes are run per week.

I understand the logic of the people of the Woodside area that new challenges will diminish the resources and energy that can be applied to the existing challenges, but the fact of the matter is that in Cowandilla’s case we coped. More than that, as I have indicated, we actually thrived. This issue is different, of course. With the department of immigration, there will be additional support, additional resources, and additional education personnel and the like. They will be picking up the tab as well.

In terms of the area and the impact on the area, migration has been a blessing in this country. Adelaide’s western suburbs were great when I was growing up. If you want a window into the past, have a quick look at my maiden speech and how much the place has changed over time. It is an even better area now: it is more diverse, more interesting and more enjoyable because of the people there and the different cultures, experiences and perspectives that they give our community.

So I encourage the member for Mayo to be positive and to try and create a positive atmosphere out of it and at the same time do all that we can to consult with the community and ensure that these fears are erased. Your community leaders have already met with the minister; communication is open. I encourage people to express their views with the minister over time. They are there to resolve these issues with a cool head with the department of immigration and the minister. I acknowledge that this is a change but all I can talk about is my experiences and it is likely to be positive change socially and economically.

The opposition’s reflex opposition to this government’s initiative is exactly identical to their opposition to other government initiatives. It is a tactic which is repeated week after week to frustrate anything that the government is doing. I cannot support their tactic and their hypocrisy on this obstructionism that they embody.

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