Older Australians will remember Al Grassby. A lively, and colourful political character; he was Immigration Minister in the reforming Whitlam Government of the early 1970s. It was here he made his greatest contribution to Australian politics and culture.
In a paper presented in 1973, Al introduced the term, multicultural society, into public debate. He said that the voices of migrant communities seeking a stronger place in our nation could not be ignored.
These words still resonate today.
Last year, half a century after the Grassby paper, I commissioned three eminent Australians – Dr Bulent Hass Delal, Nyadol Nyuon and Christine Castley – to produce a Multicultural Framework Review.
The Panel’s comprehensive and compelling report, published today, assesses the health of our multicultural society, and makes recommendations to strengthen it. It follows in a tradition of influential assessments of Australian multiculturalism.
The transformation of Australia over the past 75 years – from an isolated and insular society after World War II to a nation that welcomes newcomers from all parts of the world – has not happened by chance. It has required deep thought and hard work by individual Australians, organisations of all kinds and governments.
But the last major review of multiculturalism was a generation ago.
Since then, the migration program has expanded significantly, and its composition has been changing. Today, more than half of us are born overseas or have at least one parent who was.
We’ve changed – and we are still changing.
Cheaper airline travel and digital communications have shrunk the distance between Australia and the rest of the world in every respect. Sometimes, this affects our relationships with one another as Australians, too.
The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic have challenged our social fabric. Conflicts far from here directly affect the lives of Australians.
To write their Review, the Panel travelled all over Australia. They spoke with governments, businesses, civil society and community organisations. They heard from more than a thousand ordinary Australians. Of the 796 submissions they received, 126 were in languages other than English.
In their consultations and deliberations, the Panel understood a fundamental truth about Australia. Our multiculturalism is no mere policy document. It thrives in our communities: in our work places, institutions, sports grounds, streets and homes. In our churches, mosques, synagogues and temples. Multiculturalism is who we are.
It’s also a foundation of our democracy. The Review finds that a commitment to democratic values “is an obligation placed on all Australians no matter their background or how they arrived at calling Australia home.”
However, the Review also argues that our society cannot build a vibrant, shared identity on acceptance of democratic values alone. Everybody has to “see themselves reflected in our society, media and institutions; to feel part of a shared identity, people must feel recognised.”
Right now, too many Australians feel left out. Trust in institutions has frayed. Young people in particular spoke to the Review about their alienation.
So recognition alone is also not enough. Instead, “actively engaging in and contributing to your community is fundamental to a sense of belonging, to feeling at home.”
The Review proposes many ideas for strengthening that engagement. They include opportunities for study and work, and support for sport, volunteering, education and effective language services. The Review points to the importance of the arts, a universal language that “highlights shared human experiences.”
Crucially, it talks about the need to fight racism, wherever it appears. Of the top ten themes identified in submissions to the Review, second on the list were experiences of discrimination and racism.
In a powerful speech 13 years ago, my colleague Chris Bowen, then Minister for Immigration, coined the term, “the genius of Australian multiculturalism”. Chris meant that having launched a mass immigration policy after World War II for economic motives, Australian Governments have over time recognised the benefits of immigrant populations participating fully in society, and of society embracing the cultures and customs migrants bring with them.
In return, migrants are expected to embrace deeply held Australian values of democracy, justice, equality and mutual respect. And almost overwhelmingly, they do. That’s why people come here in the first place. That’s the genius of Australian multiculturalism.
The Review also calls us to see multiculturalism as the foundation of a strong economy and democracy. “This is the Australia we can build together”. This, too, is a fundamental truth. Our diversity is our greatest strength, and we will prosper through genuinely embracing this.
After the Albanese Government came to office, we heard concerns from migrant communities and others that multicultural policy had come to be seen as a subset of national security policy.
This Review will influence our understanding of multiculturalism for years to come. I urge all Australians to read it and to contribute to debate on how we can work together to achieve a vibrant, prosperous multicultural future.
A future in which all of us have a say, in which all of us belong.
