Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

One of the great things we do as members of parliament is attend citizenship ceremonies. There, you will see the freshly minted smiles of freshly minted Australian citizens. It is one of the truly great things we do. Townsville is alive with multiculturalism. We are a fantastic multicultural site in Australia. We have 29 different ethnic groups that run alongside our Aboriginal and Islander groups, as well as our Celtic and European groups. We are a fantastic microcosm of Australia.

I always this say when I am able to speak to people at citizenship ceremonies: 'Always remember that although you take on citizenship, we are richer and we are more textured because of what people bring to our society.' I shudder to think that we are still the same shut-off sort of society that we were 100 years ago, when my great-grandfather came to this country and could not get a job because he was a Catholic. I would say to everyone when they come to Australia that if I had to go to another country and if I had to be a citizen of another country, I would accept the laws and I would accept their customs; but a part of me would never stop being Australian. I would always eat Vegemite, drink Milo, always stop for Boxing Day cricket matches, watch the State of Origin and recognise those things that are truly Australian.

That is what we have got to do when it comes to accepting people into our hearts. We need to make sure that they add to our country. It is not about what we can give them, but what they add to us. That is what makes Australia singularly the most successful immigrant nation on the face of the earth.

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