Page 545 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 14 March 2007
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which was a great success, as those before me have said. We all know that there are nearly 200 culturally and linguistically diverse groups in the ACT. Staging the National Multicultural Festival provides yet another opportunity to showcase the wonderful diversity of cultures that we have in our city.
I will be speaking next Tuesday at the Harmony Day celebrations hosted by the Migrant Resource Centre, just across the square. The theme for the day is “We are different, but we are the same” and whilst it is true that much about us is different it is equally true that we share many things in common, and it is this combination that makes our community in Canberra and the region such a strong one.
We have seen in other places in Australia symptoms of intolerance and a lack of understanding and acceptance of people from different backgrounds. We are fortunate in Canberra that we live in a truly multicultural society, which demonstrates that many people from many countries are able to live together in harmony and with an understanding of each other’s unique differences as well as the things about us that are the same.
However, as members have already mentioned here today, unfortunately there are many examples of violence and the scapegoating of people from diverse backgrounds who have recently arrived here. These take place in other cities and towns in Australia but, thankfully, not here. That is why we must remain vigilant at all times and use every opportunity to create and nurture a positive environment for all people of all nations to live together and to share their varied cultural interests—interests such as food, arts, craft, music and dance—and, of course, national dress.
I have often commented that Australian national dress would be hard to define unless perhaps it is stubbies and thongs or a Drizabone and an Akubra. At many of the functions I attend I have the opportunity of seeing many women, and on occasions also men, in wonderful colourful national dress, particularly those from southern Africa and the Asian subcontinent.
Another feature referred to by Ms MacDonald when she spoke earlier was the opportunity we have to sample the great diversity of culinary delights. How boring would it be if our daily diet was still restricted to the meat and three veg that were staples when I first came to this country as a migrant in the mid-fifties. It is impossible to go anywhere in Canberra or Australia without rubbing shoulders with people from all around the world, and we are much the richer for it.
So I join with Ms MacDonald in endorsing the use of “multiculturalism” in our community and I admonish any move by any government at any level to move away from supporting multiculturalism in Australia. As I have said, to reject multiculturalism is to reject the very foundation of modern Australia.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (3.42): I am appalled at the lack of intellectual rigour during the debate on this motion. This outrageous motion starts with the words “unanimously endorses the use of the word ‘multicultural’ in our community”. This is like McDonalds getting the heart foundation tick. Food that complies gets a tick. Acceptable words will now get the Karin MacDonald stamp of approval: you can use this word. We should look at the history of the multicultural movement before we
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