Page 4085 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 13 December 2006
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interested to know where the local Liberals stand. Is this another issue that will divide those with close family ties to immigrant communities from those whose families have been here longer?
MS PORTER: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Minister, can you inform the Assembly of what the ACT government is doing to promote inclusion and diversity in the ACT, rather than following the Prime Minister’s lead in dividing it?
MR HARGREAVES: I thank Ms Porter for the original question and for the supplementary. The Stanhope government is committed to ensuring that multiculturalism continues to be embraced in the ACT, despite the divisive policies of the federal Liberal government. In today’s paper I note that the Prime Minister does not want to use word “multiculturalism”; he prefers the word “integration”. I believe “integration” is a way of suppressing a person’s culture. Suppressing a person’s identity, belief system and their own personal values leads them to express themselves in other, sometimes violent, ways. Because of this, I think it is irresponsible for any government to try and promote the suppression of a person’s human rights and identity. The ACT government believes in and promotes multiculturalism.
Under the Human Rights Act 2004 each of our citizens is free to hold their own beliefs, practise their own traditions and speak in whatever language they choose. In the ACT we embrace diversity. We are grateful for all that it has brought to us. We do not predetermine what beliefs, traditions and languages are the “correct” ones for the ACT.
As I have mentioned, Australia is the only developed country not to have a statutory or constitutional bill of rights at the national level. Canada, the UK, the USA and the Netherlands all have strong domestic legal protection of human rights. Such a national legislative framework would provide greater assurance that migrants’ rights, as well as citizens’ rights, would be better protected.
The Stanhope Labor government is working hard to promote inclusion in the face of divisive federal policies. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that planning Canberra’s premier celebration of diversity and multiculturalism—the multicultural festival—is well under way. Last week I had the privilege of launching the 2007 National Multicultural Festival program, poster and website at the tradies club in Dickson. It was with a great sense of pride that I looked out into the packed room to a sea of faces that represented all members of our vibrant multicultural sector.
We are lucky here in the ACT, as we have terrific access to ambassadors, high commissioners and diplomatic staff, many of whom attended the launch. The festival is now less than two months away and will run from 5 to 18 February 2007. There were 165,000 attendees last year. Over 190 different cultures gathered together for this great event. There were thousands of people exploring other cultures and cuisines under the glorious Canberra sunshine. Guess what: no-one asked whether they were citizens or able to pass some trumped-up trivia test. They were simply members of the Canberra community, interstate or international tourists enjoying being here.
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