Page 3419 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 22 October 2014
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background—we are Canberrans one and all, and we will stand as one. Again I thank members for their contributions in this place. It gives me great pleasure that this place puts out to the community a strong sentiment that everyone has right, respect and regard.
Ms Burch’s amendment agreed to.
MADAM SPEAKER: The question now is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.
MRS JONES (Molonglo) (10.42): I thank all speakers for their support and additions. Sometimes the addition of amendments in this place strips out the meaning of motions that are moved, but in this case I am grateful for the additional information that will go on the record of the Assembly in the Hansard.
To start with in summing up, many people have come to this country over a period of hundreds and thousands of years to start a life for their families, to build a future for their communities. Some have come with two bob and one shoe, as a lot of the Italian migrants say. Some have come with more. But the vast majority of our migrants and refugees have come with an intention of working very hard for our future. We are very lucky to have them and we are very grateful that they have chosen Australia as their home.
I would like to acknowledge the work that the government is doing on the upcoming multicultural and interfaith symposium to be held in the Assembly on 30 October. This is a positive step. I hope that many in the interfaith and multicultural community will come to support that event. I urge the minister to bid in the budget process for increased funding for CMCF, and in particular for the Muslim engaging festival of Eid-ul-Fitr and the radio program which is run during Ramadan. These are important bottom-up support mechanisms for our multicultural community. And perhaps if they were able to engage even more with youth, that would be a real, positive outcome for our future and would perhaps stay, at the beginning, some potential problems.
We do really well to remain alert. Yes, we are a successful multicultural community. Are there people whose views are unhelpful? Yes. Are there people who are confused and who are afraid? Yes, there are. It is our business in this place to stay alert. I hope that today’s motion will be reported by the press. I know you are listening upstairs, and I really want this message to get out into the community: that we are talking about this matter and that we are aware of current concerns.
This Assembly represents a very vast set of views about how things should be done in our community. It represents families of all sorts of different backgrounds and people from many different walks of life. The fact that we are able to agree conclusively on this matter should send a strong message to those who do not understand that their actions may cause harm or who do not care.
Since the very early days of the Assembly—I particularly want to acknowledge the work that Kate Carnell did in multiculturalism, investing so heavily in starting the multicultural festival that we now enjoy and in other areas of government work—we have worked very hard. There is much more to do. I am pleased that point (2) has
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