Multicultural issues, settlement services, Nelson Mandela, English language, Harmony Day
E&OE
QUESTION:
Senator Concetta, I think most of you will be well aware that she is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services. I think as African communities there are a lot of things that we need to hear from her. Why she’s here today and all that. Tell us why you are here today Senator.
SENATOR:
Well it’s wonderful to be here for a start. Look, this is a celebration of African culture. And it’s really important here we see so many different people who have come out to Australia but are now part of the rich tapestry that is our Australian way of life. And so, I’m here to celebrate with you and to celebrate your African culture. But in the context of this wonderful cultural diversity that we do have here in Australia. And also today we are celebrating Nelson Mandela. And I wanted to say that it is fitting and because I wanted today to echo the remarks that the Prime Minister Tony Abbott made who in attending Mr Mandela’s funeral last year said it had more of an air of a celebration rather than a funeral. And I think that’s really the essence of today. A celebration – a celebration for the life of this wonderful man, Nelson Mandela.
QUESTION:
What does multiculturalism mean to you?
SENATOR:
Well as the daughter of migrants I’ve lived very much that story. My parents came out here in the 1950s from Italy and of course like many migrants when they came out here they had nothing. But they came here to build a better life for themselves and for their children. And everybody that is here today that’s the driving force. That’s why they’ve come out here to Australia. And yes, there are difficulties but what one of the things that makes Australia so special is that we have people from all parts of the world. We speak over 300 different languages here but we are united under one common commitment to Australia – to Australia, to its values and to its laws. And the very essence of Australian multiculturalism is very unique and that’s the thing that we celebrate today. The uniqueness of a country that has brought together people from so many parts of the world and here we are, we live in harmony and we live and we respect our diversity.
QUESTION:
Do you think multiculturalism has a future in Australia?
SENATOR:
Well I think you only have to have a look at the Scanlon Foundation report that was recently put out where 84% of those people surveyed said that they believed that multiculturalism had been good for Australia. And I think it’s been good for Australia because we have such a unique version of multiculturalism. It is uniquely Australian and so, because we share that commitment and we share that respect for our diversity, under that common commitment to Australia, I think that’s what made it so successful. Look out here today, you have people from so many different walks of life, so many different backgrounds and they are all Australian. They come from different backgrounds but they are all Australian and that’s what makes us so unique in this country. And that’s why I’m really pleased to be out here today to celebrate with you, your contribution to our cultural diversity.
QUESTION:
There is a belief that during the election that Labor was better than the Liberal Government in terms of multiculturalism and what will that mean to people listening?
SENATOR:
I don’t think there is division on this issue. The Liberal Party and the Coalition and our Prime Minister has been very very committed to our Australian multiculturalism and he has repeated that message and supported again today in the message that we heard read out on his behalf. So I think that in the end one only has to look at someone like me. I represent the Government today here and I am the daughter of migrants to this country. And I have special responsibility for multicultural affairs and settlement services. And I’m somebody who has had 30 years’ experience and 30 years involvement in this area. So if I’m the face of the Government here, I think that that says a lot for what the Coalition and how the Coalition feels, and what the Coalition believes and supports in terms of our diversity.
QUESTION:
Just a follow up on the same question David asked you, one of the things that the Liberal Government was criticised on was not having a full portfolio given to the Multicultural Minister, unlike the Labor Government before you and what do you say to that criticism?
SENATOR:
Look I think that’s really unfounded. What has happened is that multicultural affairs and settlement services have now been brought under the umbrella of the Department of Social Services and I think that’s been very, very important, to bring these two important areas, that do talk about social cohesion in the mainstream of social services for all Australians. Because irrespective of where you come from it is about us being Australians and services that as Australians we get.
I’ve been involved as I said, I’ve had an interest in this area for 30 years and as I’ve spoken to a lot of people in this space there is a very warm welcome for the shift of our settlement services, particularly over to the Department of Social Services and I think that we are going to see much better efficiencies and much more effectiveness in delivery of services having done this and brought it under this umbrella. So as I said, as somebody who has had a keen interest over many many years I trust that my service in this job will be of … I think the communities do understand that they have someone who really truly understands their issues.
QUESTION:
To follow on the question of social inclusion, and then Harmony Day, what do we celebrate on Harmony Day?
SENATOR:
We celebrate everyone belonging. That’s the theme of Harmony Day this year. And it’s been wonderful. We’ve had over 6,000 events that have been registered. And that’s the ones that have been registered from right across Australia and I know that there are some ones where different African communities are involved as well around Australia. And that’s wonderful, wonderful to see because that’s what Harmony Day is about. It’s about celebrating our cultural diversity. And look, everyone belongs, that’s the theme, we all belong, it’s in all of us. It’s why many many people have come to Australia to want to belong to this wonderful country and that’s really what we’re celebrating and it’s wonderful to see a record number of events this year being celebrated. So I would encourage everybody on the 21st of March, yes, www.harmony.gov.au – if I can put in a plug there for Harmony Day and if you haven’t registered your event, please go to that website and do so as soon as possible. And make sure you wear orange on Harmony Day.
QUESTION:
What makes us different now to the last question, what makes us different to other countries, western countries. You talk about United States being 300 and something million people but different cultures but they don’t celebrate the way we do it here in Australia?
SENATOR:
I think it goes back to the point that I made earlier. Our multiculturalism is uniquely Australian. We have brought people from different parts of the world and they have, at their own pace, become part of our Australian and very unique Australian way of life. Each of them has added to the rich tapestry of Australian life. We speak over 300 languages but that’s not to say that we have done that at the expense of English. And of course English is very important as we shift from a manufacturing based economy to a service based economy. English has become more important. English is much more important today than when say my father immigrated to Australia in the 1950s. So that’s what makes us unique. We come, we have this common language, we have common values, we have common laws and that’s what makes us so strong in our diversity.
Thank you.
[ends]