Page 1007 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 March 2019
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stay silent and we need not to do nothing. Cultural differences in a community make that community richer and more vibrant. When we foster cohesive, resilient and healthy communities, we foster communities where everyone can belong. When people feel welcome, they will participate in community life and thus our local community will benefit.
In Canberra we have so many people who choose to contribute to the life of our city. Our multicultural communities are supported by small voluntary groups and organisations who work tirelessly to advocate for the needs of their diverse members. The ACT Greens were pleased to secure a commitment to establishing the multicultural advisory board and convening the first multicultural summit, through the parliamentary agreement, to ensure that those communities have a voice to government and can contribute to decision-making. Today that voice is more important than ever. We need to continue to listen to diverse voices to be able to combat bigotry and intolerance where it occurs.
The ACT Greens believe that the ACT should be a safe and welcoming place for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants and that those people should be supported through housing, education, life skills and social connections when they settle in Canberra. We are proud that Canberra is the only state or territory to be declared a refugee welcome zone. This reflects the openness and generosity of the Canberra community.
While the federal government’s approach to refugees and asylum seekers is simply disgraceful, in the ACT we have chosen to take a different approach. This Assembly has supported a Greens motion calling for refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru to be resettled in here in the ACT as part of a national resettlement program.
We are a welcoming community with a strong sense of justice and will continue to advocate for the rights and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers in our care. The approach the ACT has taken reflects the values of the Welcoming Cities network and demonstrates our commitment to these values. Becoming a member of the network will provide us with additional assistance, tools and networks from which we can learn and to which we can contribute.
I am pleased that we will work to undertake a benchmark assessment against the Welcoming Cities standard by the end of 2020. Following that assessment, we can work to implement deliberate policies, programs and initiatives that will have a positive impact on the community. The Greens and I unreservedly support this motion.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for City Services, Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Roads) (4.45): I thank the Chief Minister for bringing this motion forward today. I am very proud to live in our inclusive, progressive and connected city, a city that celebrates diversity and where everyone is encouraged to participate in the life of our city. It is a city which recognises that bringing together a mix of people from different backgrounds, experiences and cultures is essential for a thriving city, and a source of
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