​Terrific to be here in Brisbane at my first FECCA National Conference.

Acknowledgement:

• Carlo Carli, Chairperson FECCA
• Mary Ann Baquero Geronimo, CEO, FECCA
• Federal Parliamentary colleagues: the Hon Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Ged Kearney, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Assistant Minster for Indigenous Health and Senator Paul Scarr, Senator for QLD
• Community and service leaders from across the nation.

Our continent is a vast and ancient land, which for thousands of years has been a diverse place. First Nations Australians spoke more than 250 languages, practising a myriad of cultural traditions, and I also acknowledge the Turrbal and Yuggera (Jagera) peoples on whose traditional lands we gather.

British and European settlement and the dawn of our democratic system of government changed things radically, and change continued over decades of post WWII migration.

The diversity of Australia’s population really became a defining characteristic of our nation from the 1970s, when the last vestiges of the old racist White Australia Policy were swept away by the Whitlam Labor Government, which also enacted the Racial Discrimination Act. Next year we mark 50 years since that landmark legislation was passed.

Three months into this role, as the relatively new guy in the ministry immersed in the joys and complexity of multicultural affairs, it’s great to be here among so many familiar faces.

By the end of this month, I will have been to every State and Territory, meeting with community and sector leaders, to listen and understand how we can work together.

For those I haven’t yet met, treat this as a ‘first date’. Always best to leave them wanting more! I‘ll try not to talk for too long so please come say hello.

I’ve thought carefully about what I wanted to say here today. About how to frame this moment in our multicultural nation and our discussions over the course of this conference.

It’s not my style to just get up and read out pleasant dot points when there are elephants in the room, so let me start by acknowledging them.

For most of us, the last year has been a particularly difficult time for the communities and people we represent, serve and support.

Australia’s social cohesion is under real strain. Causes are complex and include economic pressures, malign interference and social media.

As well as trauma and pain that many Australians are experiencing due to war and conflict overseas on multiple continents. Including the horrific situation in the Middle East: in Gaza, Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and now Lebanon. I reiterate the Government’s calls and ongoing work for an urgent ceasefire by all parties. A call shared by the overwhelming majority of the global community.

The reality of life in modern Australia is that what happens overseas impacts daily life here. We are a globally connected society.

And, our social cohesion cannot be taken for granted. Cohesion is not an end state, it’s a process. It works when we work at it.

Being a cohesive society doesn’t imply that everyone agrees or believes the same things.

It’s about mutual respect, and respect for our democratic institutions and laws. Accepting that we have more in common than we have differences as Australians, while disagreeing agreeably at times.

The government is taking social cohesion seriously with significant focus and investments. Over $87 million has already been committed for measures ranging from physical security, mental health support, youth engagement and direct support to affected Muslim, Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, Christian and other communities.

The Department of Home Affairs has established a new Office of Community Cohesion.

Special Envoys to combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia have been announced – Ms Jillian Segal AO and Mr Aftab Malik, alongside the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Social Cohesion, Peter Khalil MP.

We are using every opportunity to emphasise that words and tone matter, by encouraging respectful, peaceful expression of different views and opinions.

But, to say hello to another elephant in the room, the Government’s work is made more difficult due to the divisive behaviour of so-called political leaders.

On one extreme, the Greens Deputy Co-Leader, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has publicly referred to “that nonsense of social cohesion”, wrongly suggesting that concerns about social cohesion is just a trick to try and silence dissent.

I feel absolutely confident in saying, that whatever their level of connection to or view on foreign conflicts, the overwhelming majority of Australians do not want overseas events to fuel violence, conflict or angry division between us.

On the other extreme, the purported alternative Prime Minister, Peter Dutton, has swapped his trusty dog whistle for a megaphone trying to wind up and divide Australians for political advantage.

When both extremes of the political spectrum are intent on making people angrier, it’s frankly a difficult environment for the government and everyone who is trying to foster dialogue and make our society safe for everyone.

Social cohesion takes leadership at all levels and government alone is not, and is never, enough.

All responsible leaders – political leaders, religious leaders and community leaders – know that words matter and tone matters.

I thank and acknowledge everyone here for your ongoing leadership and work, bringing people together across communities in difficult times.

As Australians of course, we have far more in common than we have differences.

Every Australian cares that inflation is coming down. Everyone gets a tax cut and energy rebate. No one comes to this country wanting to be poorer – everyone values education and wants a better life for their children.

Everyone, especially those new to this country, values and is rightly proud of Medicare. The envy of the world which Labor created and defends year in year out, which Mark just spoke about.

There is so much for us as Australians to be proud of and celebrate.

But in doing so we should also be taking stock – and the honest truth is that many Australians from culturally diverse backgrounds still do not get the fair go we all deserve and expect. Experiencing racism, discrimination or exclusion from full participation in society.

In other forums I’ve encouraged leaders in the media and industry to reflect deeply on the feelings and issues that may arise for Australians who are born here – who have no other country – yet who are excluded or othered due to their ethnicity or religion.

All this is a reminder that being an ethnically, or religiously, or linguistically diverse society is not the same thing as being a successful multicultural society.

Successful multicultural societies aren’t accidents. In my view success requires hard work, and three key things.

Firstly, deliberate government policy. Let there be no doubt of the commitment of this Labor Government to Australia’s open, welcoming multicultural society.

Thank you to the Panel and to everyone who contributed to the Multicultural Framework Review.

I’ve read the review carefully and it’s a seriously thoughtful and substantial piece of work. The deepest examination of the national policy settings, services and programs in a generation.

The government’s recently released response to the review endorses the core principles of connection, inclusion, identity and belonging.

The analysis, findings and recommendations of the Review are already impacting Government’s thinking and conversations, and will continue to influence and shape policy and investments for years to come.

Secondly, a successful multicultural society requires targeted and sustained investments and actions.

I’ll spare you the detail but the Government is getting on with things.

The initial commitment of $104 million complements the Government’s response to the review.

This includes $1.8 million to fund Scanlon Foundation Research institute to undertake an annual Multiculturalism in Focus Report, to keep the national conversation informed and relevant.

The first of the new modernised grants programs is now open! Up to $4.8 million in Grassroots grants will be allocated in the first round, supporting small organisations’ celebrations, amenities and intercultural activities.

We are engaging directly with multicultural community and ethnic media, exploring the findings and recommendations in Chapter 4, a priority of mine.

Accessibility of information in languages other than English is often talked about, but the action rarely lives up to the words. I’m excited about the potential for technology to help, and if you haven’t seen it yet I encourage you to check out the Department’s new On Demand Web Translation service. Initially translating 98 Department websites into 16 languages, this service is expanding.

Technology though can complement but not replace the critical role of translators and interpreters. The national TIS sector has serious structural and sustainability issues which is a shared priority for the Multicultural Minister’s Forum (with States and Territories) at its next meeting.

Part of the ministerial role in multicultural affairs of course is not just what you’re responsible for, but what you influence across government. Thank you to everyone who has already approached me with good ideas on how I can advocate within and across government – hopefully without annoying my colleagues too much! It’s clear that a burning priority relates to skills recognition and employment which I’m personally engaged in now.

I want to thank Hass Dellal AO for your leadership including as Chair of the Australian Multicultural Council and the Government is considering your recommendations for new advisory arrangements which would strengthen links with the States and Territories and increase transparency.

But the third – and perhaps most essential – ingredient for a successful multicultural society is leadership. In all spheres – political, faith, media, business, community.

In 2016 I learnt a powerful lesson on the importance of leadership when I was first elected to Parliament. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, I turned up to Canberra eager to make change and contribute to the national debate.

And so I was genuinely stunned to discover that the then-Government’s legislative priority was to weaken the Racial Discrimination Act, Australia’s laws against racist hate speech.

Putting aside the surreal and bizarre nature of this, the leadership lesson was clear: words really matter. What is said by leaders – and the tone in which it’s said – has real world consequences.

While that debate was raging for months in Canberra, led by Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton for whatever bizarre internal purpose, my community experienced increased reports of racism and Islamophobia.

Suddenly, in the words of the then Attorney-General, people had “a right to be bigots!” And unfortunately, some certainly exercised it.

Random idiots took the signal from Canberra that it was suddenly OK to rip off headscarves on the bus or racially abuse people at the market.

In response though, my community rallied together. Town hall and community forums sent a big firm NO back to Canberra.

The now Opposition likes to gloss over this moment. Just as they don’t like to be reminded of Peter Dutton’s attempts when Home Affairs Minister to introduce a University-level English language test to become an Australian citizen. It’s a test of course that many Australians born here would never pass. And it was incredibly snobbish to suggest that you can’t be a good Australian if you don’t go to University.

But the test was never the point – it was another dog whistle. Just like the African gangs, Lebanese migrants, South African farmers and more recently fear and division over people fleeing the war in Gaza. I’ll say it clearly – Australia DOES have a role as a place of refuge and support – including for families of Australians fleeing war and conflict. I’m proud that our government has again granted 20,000 humanitarian visas last year.

Extreme behaviour, whipping up fear and anger seeking to exploit social divisions for political gain should be called out wherever it occurs. On any extreme, whether or the left or right.

Since taking on this role, one of the questions I’ve been regularly asked is “What is an Australian?“

The answer, to me, is simple: An Australian is anyone committed to our country and to the principle of mutual respect for other Australians.

The promise of Australian multiculturalism, in essence, is that great Australian promise of a fair go.

That you get a fair crack at life here, no matter your ethnicity, faith, identity or background and with hard work and a bit of luck can achieve your human potential, however you define it or whatever you aspire to.

In Australia, everyone has a right to feel safe and proud of who they are.

The Multicultural Framework Review talked of the ‘Golden Era of Australian Multiculturalism’ under the Hawke Labor Government.

A lot has happened since that time in multicultural policy and politics – some good, some bad. While we can certainly draw inspiration from those times, our task today is to focus on the present and the future. Fundamentally I’m an optimist for our nation and have great faith in Australian multiculturalism.

Despite the current stresses and strains with determination, kindness and leadership we will come through this as strong and vibrant as ever.

Thank you again for your work and leadership and I look forward to the deliberations and discussions.