Page 109 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 15 February 2006
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therefore develop more representative policies on multiculturalism. At the summit, attended by around 400 members and leaders of our city’s multicultural communities, we discussed the future of multiculturalism in Canberra. We discussed how we could continue the harmonious community we live in and what the community saw as the way forward. It resulted in a dynamic exchange of ideas that is now forming the basis of a new multicultural strategy to be handed down by midyear.
The creation of this strategy is not in response to a motion from the Greens. It was in fact a response from the multicultural communities which was determined on 10 December. I believe this particular part of the motion from the Greens is grossly unnecessary because we had undertaken to do it last December. I know Dr Foskey was there. She would have been there at the time. Furthermore, I have undertaken to hold another summit in 2008 to evaluate how we went forward on that strategy. It was a fantastic turnout at the summit and another indication that multiculturalism is strongly supported in the ACT because of the genuine sincerity of people in organisations and also because of the partnership that it developed between the government and the multicultural communities.
We, as a government, see our role as a partner with the multicultural community. We want the community to feel empowered to engage us on all matters that are of concern to them. The development of a new multicultural strategy is an example of this partnership. It will be a thoughtful document, incorporating the contributions of the community provided at the forums and the summit. The community will have the opportunity for further input and comment into the process. Indeed, we left a couple of months for people who could not attend the summit to put their views forward. A similar process will apply with the housing summit.
While I have met many people and seen many new faces in the multicultural community since becoming the minister responsible for multicultural affairs more than 12 months ago, there is still a way to go. I plan to continue attending as many events organised by multicultural communities as I can. I want to keep getting out there. Being out there creates a wonderful opportunity to engage with members of multicultural groups and gives them a less formal opportunity in which to approach a member with concerns or ideas in a more relaxed environment. Also, this face-to-face, grassroots interaction is one of the more enjoyable aspects of my role. The feedback I have received is informative and important. I believe that this year will go down as an important milestone in multicultural affairs in the ACT as it will see the work and communication undertaken with the local multicultural community last year come to fruition in the form of the new multicultural strategy.
Paragraph 2 (a) in amendment (1) is mechanical. Paragraph 2 (b) in amendment (2) refers to the need for me to get closer to the community. I did not proceed with the Chief Minister’s advisory council on multicultural affairs. People need to understand it was not a ministerial one at all; it was a Chief Minister’s one. I do not need that kind of advice; I need to talk to people directly.
I also propose that the Assembly note that the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre was opened on 8 December 2005. It is important that we realise the extent to which non-Anglo-Celtic people made a contribution to the creation and the sustaining of the city of Canberra over all of these years. Theo Notaras and, indeed, the whole Notaras
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