Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

You are hurt by that comment because you know it is true and the fact that this government has made the biggest investment in education in this country ever.

I would also like to use this opportunity to congratulate the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship for last week’s release of The people of Australia: Australia’s multicultural policy. The policy includes the following four key principles: that we as Australians will celebrate and value Australia’s cultural diversity within the broader aims of national unity; that we will strengthen the government’s commitment to social inclusion, social cohesion and responsive government services; that we welcome the trade and investment benefits of diversity, and these have been significant over the years and will be significant in the future; and that we promote the understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity while responding to attitudes and actions of intolerance and discrimination with strength. The policy also outlines rights and responsibilities that are enshrined in our citizenship pledge—loyalty to Australia and its people; the need to uphold our laws and democracy; and the need to respect our rights and liberties.

Tonight when I was on ABC24 I was asked by a journalist if we should have a debate about multiculturalism in this country. I believe we should have a debate and in the process celebrate the fact that we have been a great success in national cohesion. You only need to look at what is happening in Europe to compare how we have gone on multiculturalism. I think that is because most Australians are tolerant, and that is because we have managed our migration policy very carefully. We have not ghettoised populations. We have social cohesion and national cohesion. That is because it has been very carefully managed and because Australians are tolerant.

It is also, most importantly, because leadership has been shown on this issue over many years and by successive Liberal and Labor governments. The Prime Minister was today lauding the achievements of the Menzies government and also the Fraser government in showing leadership on this issue.

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