Page 1195 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 29 March 2017
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solace in Australia from war and strife and helping build the Snowy River scheme. We continued to take those from Indochina searching for refuge in the 1970s and those from wars across Asia and Africa in the 1980s through to the 2000s. And we take them still because of our essential shared humanity. The fact that we learn from them and grow stronger because of them is merely a bonus.
Australia’s diversity is broader than this. Like our multicultural communities, many other groups have struggled not simply for acceptance but for basic recognition and for self-determination. People with disability have gone from being shuttered away in residential complexes or in back rooms to individuals capable of speaking with strong voices on their own behalf.
Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to strive for equality. From the 1967 referendum, through to the Mabo and Wik decisions, to the reconciliation movement and the apology, our Indigenous Australians have had to navigate a historical and political landscape which too often failed to acknowledge their very existence. I note that, through the closing the gap framework and with discussions about constitutional recognition and the value of treaty ongoing, we are yet to fulfil our promise to Australia’s First Peoples. I outline these issues because they remind us of the struggle, of the effort it has taken to get to where we are today, in 2017.
Mr Steel in his motion celebrated the work of the ACT government and the ACT community in making our city more inclusive. The events highlighted in this motion are as diverse as our community. However the significant community support for each of them underscores our genuine support for this diversity.
As a local member for Yerrabi I am lucky enough to have attended a large number of community events, including a number of events highlighted in Mr Steel’s motion. I hear stories of struggle and of strength, of perseverance and of determination. At many of these community events I see members opposite. I see them nod their heads at the tales of strife, at the refugee woman who fled an abusive marriage for the sake of her children, at the Aboriginal elder who seeks to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma, at the migrant who has started their own small business.
But rather than just nodding it is time that those opposite spoke up. It is time that those opposite spoke out against plans by their federal Liberal counterparts to undermine the diversity that thrives in our city and the inclusivity that we foster. It is time that they spoke out and opposed the federal Liberal government’s plans to dramatically water down fundamental protections from racial vilification as currently set out in section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
It is time for those opposite to stand up for Canberrans, many of whom have made great sacrifice to be here, have shown immense determination and, in some cases, have suffered greatly. Apparently they have not suffered enough! You would think fleeing war or famine, learning a new language, building a home again from scratch, would be proof of their resolve. But, no, now they have got to get called names or have someone mock their accent. The Canberra Liberals time and again fail to condemn these reckless, retrograde changes, to stand up for our diverse communities.
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