Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I think Senator Watt was asked that question this week, and he referred to Minister Clare's public statement—that he believes children should be at school. Again, I think your question goes to the heart of how we, as a multicultural society with a range of different views and a range of different experiences, manage our differences. I am someone who believes—as I would hope most people in this chamber believe—that our multiculturalism and our diversity is such a great strength of this country. It's one of the things that makes me most proud, and Victoria, as you know, is the most multicultural state. Now I've said that, you watch—I'm going to get a lot of criticism from New South Wales! But I think statistically that is the case.