Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to rise to speak on this private member's motion on multiculturalism. I would like to thank my good friend the member for Moreton for bringing this motion to the House, because I think it is very important that we do, on a regular basis, recognise the value of our multicultural society. As the proud son of Dutch migrant parents, it is heartening to me to reflect on and boast about our success to the rest of the world. All Australians can be rightly proud of our strong and successful multicultural society.

The story of Australia began in the distant past with our Indigenous population and heritage. It grew with the establishment of the institutions of the British Empire and continues today with people from lands far and wide. Since 1945 we have seen more than 7.5 million people migrate to Australia, and around 45 per cent of Australians today were either born overseas or have at least one parent who was. From the First Australians to the newest arrivals, our achievements as a nation can be contributed to more than 300 different ancestries and heritages that we identify in the Australian community today.

Last week the Prime Minister released the coalition's 2017 multicultural statement. The release of this statement was a timely renewal of our commitment to a strong, prosperous multicultural Australia. In part this was recognised through the annual Harmony Day celebrations, but I know, as a member who represents a community with some 217 different cultural backgrounds, that every single day in our communities right around Australia many Australians from all walks of life work together to ensure that we have a harmonious society.

We should be very proud of this most successful multicultural society in the world, where more than 85 per cent of Australians agree that multiculturalism is good for our country. Our rich history of migrants has contributed to our social and economic fabric, with almost half our current population, as I said earlier, born overseas. Over time, the coming together of many peoples has helped build our infrastructure, enliven our communities, enhance our cultural experiences, increase our opportunities and, most significantly, expand the way we see and engage with the world. It is only together, through these shared values, rights and responsibilities, that we have built this modern and prosperous country. Our values unite us. They are based on respect, equality and freedom. We recognise the importance of integration, mutual respect and mutual responsibility, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from our prosperity. It is important that we recognise that our diversity and harmony are underpinned by the security of our nation. We respond to threats to our way of life by continuing to invest in counterterrorism, strong borders and a strong national security framework. It is important that we continue to recognise that we cannot take our harmony and prosperity for granted.

Through the multicultural statement, the government continues to promote the principles of mutual respect, denouncing racial hatred and discrimination as incompatible with Australian society and culture. Migrants to Australia have come here in search of new opportunities and a better life. I frequently have those discussions with members of my community. While English is, and will remain, our national language and is a critical tool for migrant integration, our multilingual workforce is giving Australian businesses new horizons and boosting the opportunities to take skills in this country overseas. The most commonly spoken languages in Australia include Mandarin, Italian, Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Vietnamese, Filipino, Spanish and Hindi. We should be very proud of the tremendous work that we do in this country to welcome those from across the seas and we should continue to focus on that objective.

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