Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges:

(a) the work the Government has undertaken to support Australia's multicultural communities, including:

(i) launching the Multicultural Framework Review;

(ii) supporting a cohesive and inclusive multicultural society;

(iii) investing $20 million in the Adult Migrant English Program;

(iv) extending the Community Language Schools grant program to pre-schoolers;

(v) committing $7.5 million to fund the Australian Human Rights Commission to complete its National Anti-Racism Framework;

(vi) reducing citizenship processing times by 42 per cent to the lowest level in six years; and

(vii) clearing the visa backlogs for nearly 1 million people left behind by the Liberal Party and slashing wait time;

(b) that Australia is proudly one of the world's most vibrant and successful multicultural societies; and

(c) the positive contribution that migration has made to our country, culture and economy; and

(2) condemns the:

(a) Liberal and National parties for their neglect of the immigration system, as outlined in the Nixon Review; and

(b) comments from a former Prime Minister on 2 November 2023, when he stated that he 'always had trouble' with the concept of multiculturalism.

After a long week in this building it is always a pleasure to return home to Bennelong, and for the entirety of February Bennelong has been bouncing. Last Saturday was the final day of the fortnight-long Lunar New Year celebrations, and as for many cultural celebrations throughout the year our town centres were lit up, our shops and restaurants were full, and families and friends spent time together. The sense of unity within the community was truly extraordinary. I'm not Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese, and it's not in the French or Mauritian cultures to celebrate Lunar New Year, but there I was, leaning right into the year of the dragon. I attended event after event. I dotted lion and dragon eyes and held red and blue lanterns in Eastwood Koreatown. I, too, took my family out for a huge Lunar New Year lunch alongside Bennelong's diverse community. Through it all, I couldn't help but reflect upon the incredible contribution multiculturalism has made to our nation.

Australian multiculturalism is truly something unique and special. Across every town, sporting club and school there are stories about how multiculturalism has made Australia better. I'm privileged to represent a diverse and multicultural community, Bennelong, which is filled with people with stories just like mine. I'm honoured to be the first member of Bennelong with a funny-sounding name. Like 58 per cent of Bennelong, I can speak a language other than English at home. Like 66 per cent of Bennelong, both my parents were born overseas. I'm just like the rest of our community—diverse, multilingual and proud of who we are.

Representing Bennelong is not only about representing multiculturalism; it's about protecting it too. So you can imagine my horror when in November last year Bennelong's longest serving member of parliament and one of the Liberal's most celebrated former prime ministers confessed that he had 'always had trouble' with the concept of multiculturalism. He went on to say:

"… one of the problems with multiculturalism is we try too hard to institutionalise differences, rather than celebrate what we have in [common]."

To Mr Howard and to the Liberal Party I say that those views are wrong and offensive, because in a modern, vibrant and diverse Australia we can celebrate our differences and we can celebrate what we have in common. We can do both. I truly believe that it's in our culture to celebrate the culture of others. When I joined thousands of locals celebrating Australia Day and Lunar New Year no-one was thinking about how cultural difference was being institutionalised, as Mr Howard put it. We were all celebrating together. We were all stunned by the high-pole lion dance, we all danced along with Korean drummers—and plenty loved the thong-throwing contest on Australia Day. We did all that together, not apart.

I'm proud to be part of a government that supports multiculturalism and multicultural communities. We believe in a fair and functioning migration system, we support community language schools and we back local multicultural projects. Mr Howard's views belong in an Australia that doesn't exist anymore, an Australia that—thankfully—has not existed for a long time. Mr Howard's views need to be condemned promptly and without qualification. Up until this moment, we have had near total silence from the Liberals on the comments of their favourite son.

In closing, I would like to challenge speakers from the opposition to condemn Mr Howard's archaic views. I note the shadow minister is next on the list to speak. The member for Wannon has the opportunity here to draw a line in the sand for the modern Liberal Party. I challenge him to stand up and condemn Mr Howard's views. Only a direct repudiation of these views will tell Bennelong and Australia that the modern Liberal Party values multiculturalism, because, if they don't, their five minutes of platitudes here will mean nothing. What Mr Howard said was out of touch, and the Liberal Party's near total silence about it has been shameful.

Should Mr Howard or the member for Wannon decide to return to Bennelong then it will be well worth noting the three absolute truths about our modern-day community: firstly, Bennelong is stronger because of our differences; secondly, Bennelong thrives because of our diversity; and thirdly, Bennelong is better because of multiculturalism. Mr Howard is wrong, and his views should be condemned. I commend this motion to the House.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia can lay claim to being the world's most successful multicultural country, and I think it is one of the reasons I am most proud to be Australian. The joys and successes of multiculturalism are all around us. Those joys and successes are in my children's school, where the end-of-year concert celebrates songs and traditions from a variety of religions and cultures. They were in my former workplace, where we would have international day, and everyone would bring food from their different cultures. They were in Emanuel Synagogue the other evening, when people came from a range of different faiths to break bread and to talk about their common values at a time when people are trying to tear us apart.

We have a high level of support for multiculturalism, as a 2022 mapping social cohesion report by the Scanlon Foundation found, with 88 per cent of people agreeing that multiculturalism has been good for this country, and 86 per cent saying that immigrants improve our society by bringing in new ideas and cultures. There is also strong evidence that our success also contributes to our economic success. For instance, immigrants in Australia have an unemployment level that is just 0.3 per cent higher than native-born Australians. This is remarkable compared to the OECD average, with immigrants having an almost three per cent higher unemployment rate than the native-born. Even countries we admire like Sweden and Denmark have 11 per cent, or almost four per cent higher unemployment rates of immigrants rather than native-borns. It is absolutely remarkable what we have achieved as a country.

Our multicultural success underpins not just our cultural strength but our economic future, and multiculturalism has to be something that we invest in and protect, because this is actually the hardest time I have ever witnessed as an Australian for our social cohesion. I believe this is a time we need to work harder than ever to preserve the multicultural success that has underpinned us. How do we do that? Looking at the evidence, there are three key requirements. Firstly, we need to continually build the bridges between different parts of our community. Secondly, we need to have supportive institutions, including this one. Finally, we need a strong and inclusive economy that provides dignity and economic opportunities to all.

The father of social psychology, Floyd Allport, did some extremely important research about something we understand intuitively. When we regularly and positively interact with people from different backgrounds, from different cultures and from different perspectives, we build tolerance, even of people who we were previously prejudiced against. This was true of the American soldiers that Allport studied, who, if they were in more contact with German civilians, were more supportive and inclusive of them; and soldiers of mixed platoons, again, were more inclusive than those in segregated platoons.

But for all those interactions to bond us together, the interactions need to be between people who come together as equals in the workplace, in the sports team and at school. Robert Putnam identified the need for both bonding social capital, which ties people within groups together, and for bridging social capital, which builds bridges between members of different groups. Since October last year we have seen events overseas divide and undermine our social cohesion. In my community, concern and fear about antisemitism has never been greater. Other communities are equally concerned about other forms of racism and religious discrimination, including Islamophobia. We need to come back to that strong bond that Australians share and we need to come back to the bridging. For me, this is why I support in institutions in Australia—for instance, like my lifesaving clubs, the local SES and my primary schools. These are the institutions that bring people together as equals and build those bridges between different parts of our community. It's also why I'm so proud of people like Anna and Rabbi Kamins, people who are going out of their way at this time of need to build bridges between different parts of our community—to hold us together right now. But as well as having that interaction between us we also need institutions that underpin us—institutions such as parliament. We have to make sure that it underpins society and ensures that we don't have discrimination; that should be driven by our parliament.

Finally, we need inclusive economic growth. What we see from history is that in times of great financial strain it is actually the far-right parties who normally prosper. I think that part of our cohesion in Australia has been built on our prosperity—prosperity that is shared across the Australian community.

Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to ensuring a diverse and inclusive Australia. The government and the Australian Labor Party recognise the importance of ensuring that the extraordinary and positive contribution of successive generations of migrants is not only welcomed but encouraged and celebrated. A brief glance at the current Labor caucus shows this philosophy in action: it is one where several members trace their origins to different parts of the world but are united in their belief in working towards a better future for all Australians.

However, our support for Australians from non-English speaking backgrounds does not stop at guaranteeing a caucus that reflects Australia's diversity. We also make sure it's reflected in our policy-making. Former Labor prime minister Gough Whitlam introduced the official policy of multiculturalism. We, as the party of Whitlam, have strengthened it and will continue to do so. Australia's vibrant and modern multicultural society is a national strength, and part of guaranteeing the continued success of multiculturalism in Australia is ensuring that our nation's institutional, legislative and policy-making framework reflects the nature of our multicultural society. The Multicultural Framework Review will help in promoting a government that works for multicultural Australia. It's an opportunity to examine the first principles of multiculturalism in this country and to provide clarity on their relevance, responsiveness and adaptability. This involves exploring many aspects of Australian policy-making, including the effectiveness of existing federal legislative regulatory and policy settings, and their interaction with state and local government settings; the role and functions of government and non-governmental organisations in identifying pathways to address systematic barriers; and the effectiveness of current diversity, equity and inclusion strategies for promoting leadership opportunities among people from CALD backgrounds. I thank the panel and reference group for the incredible work they're doing in formulating this review and I look forward to their report to the government next month.

When Australian Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, formed government in May 2022 there was a backlog of over one million visa applications that had been unopened. This government got on with efficient and diligent processing of these applications by hiring more than 650 additional staff in visa-processing roles since May 2022. In addition, the government adjusted our migration policy to address Australia's critical human resource shortages by prioritising skilled visas in the health and education sectors.

Besides addressing visa applications, the government has ensured that Australians who have done the right thing and want to accept Australian citizenship are supported in doing so. Since we formed government, average citizenship processing times have decreased by 34 per cent, and 62 per cent of people are now waiting less than three months to attend a citizenship ceremony. This has removed the anxiety and stress of extended waits for those who would love to call Australia their country and their home.

Language is an essential aspect of culture and identity, and community language schools play a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage, with a history dating back to 1857. There are now more than 700 language schools operating across Australia, teaching over 100,000 students in over 85 languages. In recognition of their key role in promoting multiculturalism, the government committed $18.2 million in the 2023-24 budget to fund community language schools so that more Australian children have the chance to learn a second language.

I would like to conclude by commending the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. Andrew Giles, for his remarkable work in ensuring a multicultural Australia. For the Albanese Labor government, multiculturalism is not an afterthought but the cornerstone of government policy.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to thank the member for Bennelong for bringing this important motion to the House, and I want to especially acknowledge the work that the member for Adelaide has done in this place and elsewhere around the nation and right across the world, particularly with the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association, of which he is vice-president. The Greek community owe him a debt of gratitude, and I look forward to working with him to promote Hellenic activities and all that is great about Greece in the future.

I come from Wagga Wagga. It is a proud multicultural city. We have 114 nationalities represented in the city and they speak 107 languages, and that is just fantastic. Wagga Wagga is home to one of the largest Yazidi communities outside the Middle East, and I want to pay credit to the now opposition leader for the work that he did to enable them to have safe passage and a safe home under our compassionate visa arrangements. I well recall the conversation which followed the multiple genocides and attacks in 2014 at the hands of the extremists known as Daesh or ISIS, where the Yazidi community were targeted and killed. The now opposition leader, as immigration minister, called me and asked me if I would be prepared to have these Yazidi refugees settled in Wagga Wagga, and within a nanosecond I said yes. It wasn't even a consideration or a thought. Of course Wagga Wagga would. It's been such a welcoming community. Hundreds of Yazidis now call Wagga Wagga home. One of them, Dawlat Gundor, in fact worked for me, and what a great presence and smile she brought to my workplace! She's now studying law here in Canberra. The story that she had, from back in her homeland to where she is now, is quite an incredible one. Wagga Wagga is much the richer for our Yazidis and, of course, our people from so many other nations right across the world.

I am not making this political, but I want to talk also about the work that we did as a coalition government in nine years to help multicultural issues and to assist people who came to this land from elsewhere, right across the world. We know that in the second verse of our national anthem we say:

For those who've come across the seas

We've boundless plains to share.

Indeed we do. The previous coalition government provided $10 million in funding through the Community Languages Multicultural Grants program to support not-for-profit community language schools. For the Adult Migrant English Program, the 510-hour cap was removed and the amount of support was made unlimited. There was a $50 million investment in the highly successful Safer Communities Fund. We made places of worship safer and more secure, and that was important. The Safer Communities Fund, through early intervention grants, provided $119.5 million for 133 recipients for activities to engage youth at high risk. These all helped the multicultural communities. We invested in $8.1 million into the Fostering Integration Grants program to support activities that celebrate and recognise Australia's multicultural communities through festivals and events. We all have those events in our home towns. Indeed, in Wagga Wagga, the FUSION Multicultural Street Festival is one of the largest, if not the largest, community festivals outside the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup horse race, first run in 1873. This fusion festival, only instituted in recent years, has grown to the extent that thousands of people celebrate and commemorate all that is great about multiculturalism.

The former government launched a dedicated campaign to inform culturally and linguistically diverse communities about skills and training opportunities, and that was important. It resulted in tens of thousands of enrolments in skills training from multicultural Australians. We need to continue to invest in those who come across the seas to make Australia home. We need to ensure that they know they can come to a land which is safe and secure and, indeed, that they can contribute, as they have for many years past, to make our nation even greater.

Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank Mr Laxale for his contribution and for moving this particular motion. I would also like to mention the member for Riverina as well for his contribution on the World Hellenic Inter-parliamentary Association. He has attended a few of our conferences and contributed greatly. It shows that here in Australia all you have to do is scratch the surface of someone's background and you find that they have come from somewhere.

In Adelaide, just like the whole of Australia, if someone struggles with the idea of multiculturalism, they are missing out on a fundamental part of understanding over half of our nation. It is important to acknowledge, aside from Indigenous Australians who rightfully claim this land and were the first inhabitants, nearly all of my constituency have a migrant history, whether it be from Irish stock a couple of hundred years ago or from Britain right through to the big influx of migrants that came from Greece, Italy, Europe after World War II, right through to today, with people from the Middle East, India, China and other countries. With over half of our residents proudly bearing multicultural roots, this recognition underscores the importance of respecting the fact that we are guests on this land as well of the Indigenous people. If each person in this room traced their family tree, they would find roots from abroad.

Recently, over 8,600 individuals in my electorate celebrated the year of the Dragon. I had the privilege of joining the vibrant communities in Gouger Street this year with many from the Asian communities who celebrated Chinese New Year. What made it truly exceptional was the diverse crowd, not just Chinese, Vietnamese or Koreans but everyone from every background you could think of. I would also like to acknowledge the member for Sturt, who was present on the night. This inclusivity speaks volumes about the universal appeal of this tradition embraced by the entire community in my electorate of Adelaide.

Easter is around the corner, and more than 10,000 people in Adelaide will be celebrating at a different time, or even twice if they have a culturally mixed family and friends. We have to appreciate the good things that migration brings. It has made our country, our culture and our economy better. Speaking for myself, I absolutely love being involved in the traditions from all cultures, learning where people come from and how they got here. What I really love is the fact that my grandkids go to school with a bunch of friends from different backgrounds, different ethnicities. My grandkids, who are fourth generation, are learning their ancestral language from their great-grandfather, who is Greek. They get to learn and celebrate a multicultural Australia without having to hide where they come from, like people in my generation had to when we were kids. I also want to take a moment to appreciate those wonderful teachers who put in the effort to say each child's name just right and correctly, without changing their names—as our names were changed when we first went to school. If it's something you haven't heard before, it's those little things that really make a big difference in recognising where we all come from.

It's appalling that our immigration system was neglected under the previous government. In my office, we felt the fallout. We were dealing with hundreds of people regularly asking about their visas and explaining how their loved ones were still in danger. We advocated strongly for each person walking through our doors. Clearing the visa backlog of nearly one million people, left behind by the former government, hasn't been easy—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, there were a million people, but, with our minister and the Prime Minister's leadership, we're making progress. Our citizenship processing times are down by 42 per cent, the lowest in six years; we're launching the Multicultural Framework Review; we're investing $20 million in the Adult Migrant English Program; and we're extending language programs to preschoolers. This government is allocating $7.5 million to the Australian Human Rights Commission to combat racism. This should demonstrate the government's efforts to support Australia's multicultural communities and work together to ensure that these improvements make a real impact on people's lives. Truly, multiculturalism here in Australia is one of the best things that we have going for this country, where we all live in harmony and in peace and acknowledge one another's cultures.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia is truly one of the best multicultural nations in the world. Australia proudly celebrates its multiculturalism, recognising the contributions of its diverse communities to every aspect of society. In my electorate of Wannon, we are no different. We have people who have come from right across the world who are all making a significant contribution to my wonderful electorate. Right across the board, we're seeing more and more of the diversity and the multiculturalism that makes us such a wonderful country, whether it be the Islamic community in Ararat, the Dutch and New Zealanders who are adding to our dairy community or the Indians and the Thais giving us those wonderful flavours right throughout our restaurants.

But it's sad to see what those in government are now doing when it comes to immigration. It really is sad to see. I find it extraordinary that in bringing this motion forward they seek to criticise us for the neglect of the immigration system when that is exactly what they are doing themselves. The Nixon review is mentioned here. The government sat on the Nixon review for eight months. It was such an important review and they sat on it for eight months, and they've done nothing when it comes to implementing it.

I can tell you that the proof is in the pudding when it comes to this because 23,000 asylum seekers came to Australia by plane in the last year, and the government just sat there and said, 'There's nothing we can do about it, but we've got the Nixon review, which we sat on for eight months.' They have done nothing with it. They're talking about visa processing. They processed visas, and all of a sudden they realised we've got a problem: 1.6 million people are coming to this nation over five years. Everyone just says 'Where are they going to live?' They have brought in more people than live in the city of Adelaide. Has the housing caught up? No. So what do we have now in this country? We've got a housing crisis, we've got a rental crisis and we've got a cost-of-living crisis—and what is the government doing to try and deal with all that? Nothing. They are not doing anything to address those issues. They are sitting on their hands and saying, 'It's all too hard.' They don't have a plan. A big Australia by stealth will not deliver for this nation. What do we on this side want? We want a better Australia, not Labor's bigger Australia, because you haven't done any of the planning. There is a rental crisis in this country. There is no rental availability, and yet what is the answer of those opposite? Nothing. They're just putting more and more pressure on everything and saying, 'It is all too hard.'

They're talking about visa backlogs. I can tell you the visas are backing up again. What is the government doing? The government is saying, 'The only way we can slow down and try and fix our mess is by not processing the visas.' That is what they're doing, because they've got no other way now to deal with the mess that they have created. It is what always happens under Labor. Labor makes a mess of immigration—and I haven't even started yet on what has happened. Two boats have now arrived on the coast of Western Australia. What is the Prime Minister's response to that? He said, 'No-one called me to tell me they had arrived.' What a load of nonsense.

We've got the detainee debacle of 149 hardened criminals, including seven murderers and 37 sex offenders, all released into the community, and the hapless and hopeless immigration minister has no idea where they are. He will not tell the public where they are. He won't even tell the public what they're doing in terms of monitoring them. There is huge community concern, and those opposite really couldn't care. Stop playing politics and get on and do your job.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bennelong for this motion, because it gives me the chance to talk about how proud I am to represent the electorate of Moreton, which has a diverse mix of cultural and ethnic communities. We have a large Chinese diaspora, Indians, Taiwanese, Pasifika, Somalis, Eritreans, Ethiopians, Sudanese, Rwandans, Filipinos, South Africans, a First Nations community, British, New Zealanders, Fijians, Koreans, Vietnamese, people from the Balkans, and so many more. We have a rich and vibrant community thanks to these people. The cultural and faith celebrations, the food, the festivals and the community service all help inspire and drive community cohesion.

I'm proud that in Moreton people feel a sense of belonging and are at ease mixing with people from different ethnic and faith backgrounds. This reflects the fact that 89 per cent of Australians agree with the statement 'Multiculturalism has been good for Australia,' where we see three streams combined for healthy water: the First Nations stream, 65,000 years old and still flowing strong; the British input, providing justice, democracy and other institutions; and then the third stream, particularly after World War II. All three streams combine to form one strong healthy river—an ancient and a modern Australian river.

The Albanese government is committed to building on our achievements as a cohesive and inclusive multicultural society. Generations of migrants from over 300 different ancestral backgrounds have helped shape our country and our shared values. This is not something that just happens magically; it takes foresight and leadership. Sadly, as we've seen in places like former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, cohesion can disappear overnight. Harmony requires vigilance and constant work. Neil Young said, 'Rust never sleeps', but trust never keeps. It must be maintained daily, because there'll always be politicians and others who want to divide.

After years of mismanagement and delay by the former coalition government, Labor moved to process the backlog of visa applications from people wishing to move here and contribute to our multicultural society. To assist with economic growth and labour shortages we've prioritised skilled visas, especially those in the health and education sectors. We also acknowledge the importance of permanent residency and citizenship. On Australia Day this year I was privileged to attend three citizenship ceremonies, and, like always, I was struck by the emotions on display as those being welcomed into our Australian family gave their oaths and affirmations. They're filled with pride and hope, and faith in our multicultural future.

Since Labor came to government, the average processing time for citizenship has decreased by 34 per cent, and more than two-thirds of people are now waiting fewer than three months to attend a citizenship ceremony. We've also extended our direct pathway to citizenship for our Kiwi brothers and sisters, with more than 44,000 applications since July of last year. I had sought of the minister that they must ditch their loyalty to the All Blacks, but apparently that is unconstitutional!

To ensure future government policies and organisational arrangements are inclusive, cohesive and support our multicultural society, we ran the Multicultural Framework Review, hosting 150 consultation sessions and receiving 700 submissions. We're also funding programs that make a direct, positive impact. I know the member for Bennelong supports people having a second language. Funding of $18.2 million is going to our community language schools, enabling more Australian children to learn a second language and, by default, deepen their cultural awareness, understanding and acceptance—and perhaps open up future trade opportunities. These schools are also vital in the preservation and honouring of cultural heritage, and have actually been operational here in Australia since the 1850s. And the Adult Migrant English Program has been bolstered by $20 million of funding to deliver English language classes flexibly, both online and in community and workplace settings.

While the majority of Australians are supportive of and grateful for our multicultural society, it's important to continue to combat the scourges of racial discrimination and racism. These have no part in Australian society and we must call them out—I thank the member for Bennelong for doing that. The Racial Discrimination Act provides a solid foundation. Section 18C of the act prohibits acts that offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone because of their race or colour, or their national or ethnic origins. I remember that a former coalition government tried to repeal section 18C, but Labor, with the support of our multicultural communities, stopped that. Australia balances freedom of expression with the right to be free from racial discrimination, and we do it well. (Time expired)

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this chamber to talk about the importance of multiculturalism and the multicultural communities of my electorate. I appreciate the similar contributions that most members have made about their electorates and about the pleasure it is, and the honour, of serving in this place and doing the work we get to in our communities. I think everyone says, to a tee—and indeed I say—that engaging with our multicultural communities is definitely the most enjoyable part of being a local member of parliament. In fact, I think the greatest honour of being a member of parliament is to attend citizenship ceremonies and be there when people take that oath or affirmation. They have chosen to make their future in our country and, whilst I'm proud to have been born in Australia, it's a particular honour when someone chooses this country to make their future in. We're so lucky that, as a nation, we have such a very rich tapestry of people who have come from all across the planet to make their future in Australia.

On most of the globally available statistics we're close to the nation with the highest number of people born overseas, which is something to be particularly proud of. I think it's just over 30 per cent of Australians who were born overseas, and we know that in the recent census more than half of Australians either themselves were, or had at least one parent, born overseas. This is a problem for some of us seeking election to this place, of course—as we know, under section 42—but happily it's a bit clearer for those political aspirants. Nonetheless, it's something to be greatly proud of. Also, when we look at some of the other nations with a high proportion of migrants, Australia is certainly at the top when it comes to the great, rich tapestry and blend of backgrounds of people that have come here.

We know about the history of migration to this nation from the time of European settlement. Initially, for the first century or more, migrants were largely from the British Isles—sometimes quite involuntarily. Many of us may have forebears that didn't necessarily choose to come to Australia in the early part of the post-European colonial period. Of course, there was that disgraceful period of time when we had a very racist migration policy in this nation, known as the White Australia policy, that put certain caveats and requirements on people being able to come to this country. Thankfully, that was dismantled. I particularly pay tribute to former prime minster Harold Holt, who made some of the most significant elements of change to the migration system to ensure that we removed the appalling racism that was present in the migration policies of the Commonwealth government.

We know, of course, that the post-Second World War period saw a large number of Mediterranean and southern European migration. I'm very proud to represent the largest Italian community of any electorate in the country in my electorate of Sturt. A little over 27,000 people in the last census identified their Italian ancestry in my electorate of Sturt, and I'm very proud that my electorate has the largest Italian community of any electorate in the country. That Italian community is very vibrant, and there are still first-generation Italians that came here in that very difficult post-Second World War period, which brought so many important traditions, particularly rooted in their faith, in their Catholicism. In my community, we have many important and significant religious festas, celebrations of the feasts of saints, that are so very significantly linked to the communities from which that Italian migration came. There are some communities in my electorate where there are more people who are descended from migrants that came from particular villages than there are people in the villages in Italy where they came from. It goes to show how significant that wave of migration was.

The second-largest community has those of Chinese ancestry. Then it's those of Indian ancestry, and then Greek—I could go on. In the last week or eight days, we've had two significant local cultural celebrations in my electorate. We had the Norwood Greek cultural festival just on Saturday night, two days ago. The member for Adelaide, who spoke earlier on this motion, was there with a number of other state parliamentary colleagues. It was a great opportunity to celebrate Greek culture and the Greek contribution in my electorate of Sturt. And, last weekend, like in so many other communities across the country, there were the celebrations of Lunar New Year.

As a member of parliament, it is a great honour to be at these events across our various multicultural communities, to join with those communities to celebrate their culture and to thank them for bringing their culture and those traditions to this country. I truly believe—and I'm sure no member would disagree—that Australia is the greatest multicultural country on earth. We want to see our multicultural communities continue to grow and thrive, to celebrate their history and their ancestry and to embrace the opportunities that Australia provides them while also celebrating the past that they bring to enrich our nation in doing so.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.