Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to be able to speak to this motion by the member for Fowler. In my first speech in this place, I spoke of the need to really value and incorporate the great untapped wealth of knowledge and experience in those Australians who have migrated here. I reminded us of Gough Whitlam, who said in 1972, 'We need to liberate the talents and uplift the horizons of the Australian people.' In 1973, now 50 years ago, the Whitlam government immigration minister, Albert Grassby, published our first multiculturalism policy paper, A multi-cultural society for the future. No-one understood the word 'multiculturalism' back then. It was groundbreaking. Grassby wrote:

In a family the overall attachment to the common good need not impose a sameness on the outlook or activity of each member, nor need these members deny their individuality and distinctiveness in order to seek a superficial and unnatural conformity. The important thing is that all are committed to the good of all.

Grassby's pluralism was the seed for the policy changes that followed. It is safe to say that Australia's rich cultural tapestry in 2023 owes much to the far-sightedness of people like Whitlam and Grassby. Our parliaments, too, now bear evidence of change, with many more cultural backgrounds represented in them than ever before. It's an unfinished journey, but one that I'm happy to share.

The member for Fowler points out that now more than half—about 55 per cent—of our population is born, or has one parent born, overseas. This figure is accentuated in Hasluck and Western Australia, where it is actually closer to 62 per cent. Our myriad connections with the wider world are closer than ever, with people in Hasluck hailing from New Zealand, India, the Philippines, South Africa and many other lands. We have had the SBS for 50 years now, broadcasting in over 60 languages, which I'm told is a world record. Many of the one in four Australians who speak another language at home consume their daily news in that language first and in English, perhaps, second. In Hasluck, with its quickly expanding mortgage belt, Punjabi has overtaken Italian in recent years as the second most spoken language, and Gujarati is not far behind. These communities provide language lessons for their children so that they grow up knowing their mother tongue.

So what is the only thing holding back greater appreciation for our many communities? Is it a lack of curiosity? Is it racism? Is it simply ignorance? Education has a great role to play, not merely through formal schooling but by the sharing by those communities of the cultural, lingual and religious gifts with the community at large, often supported by governments at every level. The opportunities to mix, interact and learn from each other will liberate the great untapped wealth of knowledge and experience that I spoke of.

In the May budget, the government made allocations for further assistance for our multicultural communities. There will be an improved delivery model for the Adult Migrant English Program from 1 January 2025 building on the allocations made in the October budget for improving that program. Supporting English language development for new arrivals is not just important from a practical viewpoint, allowing migrants to better connect with their day-to-day challenges; it is a friendly introduction to Australian culture and a welcoming gesture.

The government is also providing $9.1 million to extend the youth transition support services and further assist young migrants in their employment outcomes. These measures are on top of the investment the government has made in bringing down visa waiting times across the whole immigration system. The coalition allowed the migration system to be so banked up that it was almost unworkable. People shouldn't have to wait years for a visa or for an answer. And the bringing of greater speed and certainty to these processes is another way to support multicultural communities. The recognition of overseas qualifications is an ongoing challenge, one which it will serve us to streamline. I was glad to see this as part of the recently signed FTA with India, which is now the leading source of migrants to Australia. Annex 8(c) of the agreement directs the parties to enhance cooperation on skills development and mutual recognition of professional qualifications as well as vocational education and training qualifications.

The multicultural review framework, the first such review for decades, commenced in October last year and will report by March 2024. It will be comprehensive and will draw upon the gifts, skills and talents of all of our cultural groups and of all who cherish them.

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