Page 579 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 14 March 2007
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destroy multiculturalism and want to go back to the White Australia policy of the 1940s and 1950s.
It is difficult to deal with individuals who operate as opportunists, rather than being consistent. We have already heard about Mr Stefaniak’s inconsistency on this issue, but it is worth repeating. Yes, the Liberal members that sit before us today denouncing the installation of a bronze statue of a great advocate of multiculturalism were, not so long ago, lauding his life achievements. Shortly after Mr Grassby’s death in April 2005, on 3 May 2005 Opposition Leader Bill Stefaniak, during a condolence motion in the ACT Legislative Assembly, declared:
… Australia has lost a magnificent man … I wonder if we would have the pleasure of having so much diversity in our community and all the benefits that go with it were it not for the sterling efforts of Al Grassby …
Mr Stefaniak was not the only Liberal to extol the virtues and the many achievements of Al Grassby. Opposition members Steve Pratt and Brendan Smyth had plenty of positive things to say about the great man during the condolence motion. Let’s revisit those comments. Mr Pratt noted:
There is no doubt that Al Grassby was a pioneering influence in the development of multiculturalism as a meaningful force in Australian society.
Mr Smyth stated:
I think the reforms that the Chief Minister has outlined are a testament to Al. For me the one that really stands out is the repeal of section 64 of the Migration Act 1958 to 1966. That was the last of the old discriminations against the indigenous people of Australia. It is something he should be remembered for for a long time.
The opposition members who deride Al Grassby now continued their highly vocal and public support for him at the time of his passing.
Mr Pratt: Deride the statue, John, not the man.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Pratt! You will get a chance to speak; perhaps not today.
MR HARGREAVES: The day Mr Grassby died, former opposition leader and now ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries urged the federal government to facilitate a state funeral, occasions which are reserved only for those whose contribution to Australia is truly great. Of course, the request was granted. In a media release issued hours after Mr Grassby’s death, Senator Humphries stated that the 78-year-old had left a powerful and enduring legacy in pioneering modern multiculturalism in Australia. He said:
Although his tenure as a minister was very short—less than two years—he made a huge contribution to Australia, turning its attention to the world beyond our shores and to understanding the value diverse cultures could make to the quality of life here.
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