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New strategy in support of multiculturalism in Australia.

Joint media release with Senator Kate Lundy, Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship and MP Chris Bowen Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

A new national multicultural policy, The People of Australia, builds on the Federal Government’s strong support for multiculturalism in Australia, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, said today.

Mr Bowen today released The People of Australia and said it built on a whole-of-government approach to maintaining a socially cohesive and harmonious society.

‘This new multicultural policy will further strengthen our multicultural policies and programs,’ Mr Bowen said.

‘It is a expression of support for Australia’s multiculturalism and an endorsement of the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council (AMAC) statement presented to government for consideration last year.’

Mr Bowen said as part of the strategy, the government would introduce a new independent advisory body with broader terms of reference to succeed the current Advisory Council.

‘The new body will act as a champion for multiculturalism in the community; will advise the government on multicultural affairs; and will help to ensure Australian Government services respond to the needs of migrant and refugee communities,’ he said.

‘We will also establish a National Anti-Racism Partnership to design and deliver an anti-racism strategy as we continue to work to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.’

Mr Bowen also welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to rename the position held by Senator Kate Lundy to better reflect the focus of her duties.

‘Recognising the breadth of her responsibilities and the need for an increased focus on the implementation of multicultural policy, Senator Lundy’s portfolio will now be titled the Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs,’ Mr Bowen said.

‘Senator Lundy has been actively engaging with the sector and broader community on these matters since taking on her role as Parliamentary Secretary.’

Mr Bowen said The People of Australia policy embraced four principles, including celebrating and valuing diversity; maintaining social cohesion; communicating the benefits of Australia’s diversity; and responding to intolerance and discrimination.

‘The government believes in the right of all Australians, regardless of where they come from, to enjoy and contribute fully to Australian society. This new policy clearly demonstrates that commitment,’ he said.

Senator Lundy said the government was committed to supporting policy and programs that strengthen social cohesion and promote inclusion.

‘The government is committed to Australia’s brand of multiculturalism and we are proud of our record of successfully leveraging the benefits of our diversity,’ Senator Lundy said.

‘Multiculturalism in Australia is about building a shared sense of nationhood forged through mutual respect, common values and a commitment to fairness.’

The policy also responds to the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia’s Different but Equal National Multicultural Agenda of November 2010.

Multicultralism here in Australia – a Good read for Migrants.

  I’ve just come across a great article written by Chris Bowen MP, it was published earlier this year but is still a good read when discussing multiculturalism here in Australia.
Why Sheridan and the Immigration Minister parted company on road to multiculturalism
By Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
The Weekend Australian, April 16, 2011

On 12 March 1868, a deranged gun man named Henry O’Farrell shot Prince Alfred on Clontarf Beach in Northern Sydney. Presuming the attempted murder to have been motivated by this lunatic’s Catholicism, 20 000 Sydneysiders gathered in an anti-Irish public meeting to denounce Catholics as being papists devoted to undoing the Empire and the Australian way of life.

As ridiculous as this seems to us now, it is a reminder that we cannot allow the actions of extremists (whether sane or not) to colour our view of the vast majority of law abiding, industrious people who come to Australia not to change our values, but because of them.

Each wave of immigrants to Australia has faced questions about whether they can fit in to the Australian way of life. Sometimes these concerns have centred around the religion of our migrants and links to extremism.

In his piece ‘How I lost faith in multiculturalism’ (Weekend Australian, 2 April 2011), Greg Sheridan calls on his experience of the Sydney suburb of Belmore to inform his thoughtful and passionate criticism of multiculturalism.

I too have called on my experiences in Fairfield – a suburb not too far from Belmore – to inform my equally passionate defence of the respect for migrant cultures, which is engendered in multiculturalism.

For me, there is nothing in my experience of growing up in and representing Fairfield, or my experience as Minister for Immigration, which has led me diverge from my support from multiculturalism. In 1996, Greg Sheridan and I both supported multiculturalism. His views have changed, mine have not.

In 1996, Greg wrote: ‘There is nothing in multiculturalism that could cause any worry to any normal person. Multiculturalism officially promoted an overriding loyalty to Australia, respect for other people’s rights and Australian law, recognition of people’s cultural origins, respect for diversity, the need to make maximum economic use of the skills people bring to Australia and equity in access to government services.‘

The point Greg made in 1996 is essentially the same point I made in my Sydney Institute speech in February, which he then used the pages of The Australian to rebut. The best way to engender commitment to the traditional Australian values of democracy, freedom and sexual equality is, in turn, to respect the cultures of our immigrants wherever they do not conflict with these values.

My essential argument is this: If you are to have a large and diverse immigration policy (which we both support), then you have a choice. Do you respect, embrace and welcome the cultures of those you have invited to make Australia home, or do you shun them?

Do you seek to invite full participation in Australian society of those who come here, or do you treat them as guest workers and hope they integrate, while all along suspecting they won’t.

Greg is correct to be concerned about the development of Islamic separatism and adversarial culture. But rejecting multiculturalism and going down the French and German road is no way of encouraging greater integration into Australian society.

The main factor that caused Greg to walk away from his long held belief in multiculturalism is his experience of Belmore, Lakemba and Punchbowl. He was rightly concerned about the adversarial nature of (presumably) Muslim youths at the railway station and the lack of academic performance at the local high school. He notes that the Catholic high school had no Muslim students, and it was an excellent school.

Could I be presumptuous enough to suggest a return to the local area and a visit to Punchbowl High School? Here, the Principal is Jihad Dib. Mr Dib is an Australian of Islamic faith. His brother, Bill is the Asia Pacific Featherweight Boxing Champion. Another brother, Nasser, is a highly decorated policeman, while their brother Yusseff is completing a journalism degree at Notre Dame University.

At Mr Dib’s Punchbowl High School, the NAPLAN results show an academic improvement between years 7 and 9, which rates highly compared to other schools throughout the state. In 2010 over 30 per cent of Punchbowl High’s students entered tertiary education, a rate that compares respectably with other high schools with similar socio-economic demographics. There are very few incidents between students and around 40 parents turn up for each P&C meeting, a record many schools would envy.

Likewise, a visit to Cabramatta High School, just outside my electorate, will show you a school heavily dominated by students with a non-English speaking background but with some of the best maths and science results in the state.

I hazard a guess that none of the Dib brothers would agree that their religion has encouraged anti-social behaviour or aggression. Aggression by boys at a railway station is unacceptable. Just as verbal or physical attacks on women who choose to wear the burkah are unacceptable. The boys who were aggressive at Belmore station do not find their actions condoned or encouraged by multiculturalism.

I’m not suggesting that relations between immigrant groups and the Anglo-Celtic population (and those between different ethnic groups) are always entirely harmonious. But I do argue that the Australian version of multiculturalism gives us the best chance of being an open, tolerant, harmonious and prosperous nation

Aboriginal Languages -Fast Facts

• Australian Aboriginal -‘indigenous’- society dates back around 60,000 years.
• When the First British Fleet arrived in Australia in 1788, there were thought to be roughly 250 Australian languages and 700 dialects. 
• Of the original 250 or so languages, only around 20 survive today, but these are spoken regularly and taught in schools.
• Kriol is spoken mostly in northern Australia.
• Kriol is the most widely used Aboriginal language and the native language of many young Aboriginals.
• Kriol contains many English words but the meanings are often different and the spelling is phonetic.

Australia~ A nation in the building.

In order to move away from the monarchy, Australia would have to become a republic, and in this case the country would need a constitution.

The following web-site is proposing one:

www-personal.edfac.usyd.edu.au/

And here is the Senate’s General Constitution:

aph.gov.au/

Brisbane’s Muliticultural Festival – Been & Gone!

Go Next year if you missed it!
Why should you go? ~ A few reasons it is worth a visit.

Houses that Move.

Have you ever seen a house move?

If you bought a plot of land with a wooden house and liked the location but wanted to build a new house on the block, you don’t necessarily need to knock the old house down – You could have the house removed.

You may only get $5-15’000 for the house itself. House removal/relocation companies come, prepare the house for relocation and take it to a new location or to a storage site. These houses are then resold, depending on the condition.

What’s a D&M?

This is a point of interest for anyone who likes to really get into a conversation.

Is Australia Backward and Racist?

Ex-Telstra boss Sol Trujillo, hit the headlines this week when he described his adopted home country (Australia) as “backward” and “racist”. He also went on to say that living here was “like stepping back in time”.