All people, regardless of culture, religion, language, or place of birth, have equal rights economically, socially and culturally. Multiculturalism in Australia must be based on recognition of the sovereignty of the First Nations peoples.
Principles
The Australian Greens believe that:
- A healthy society values multiculturalism and celebrates diversity and difference.
- Multiculturalism in Australia needs to be built on a recognition of the sovereignty of First Nations peoples.
- Multiculturalism should be an integral part of Australia’s national identity. Structural disadvantage suffered by minorities and immigrants needs to be addressed.
- People have the right to celebrate and express their cultural heritage within universally accepted human rights.
- All people - regardless of culture, ethnicity, religion, language, place of birth or citizenship status - should have equal rights and the right to participate equally in social, economic, and cultural life.
- Australia is a culturally diverse society, and this should be fully reflected in all institutions.
- The Australian Greens should represent the cultural diversity of Australian society in its own organisation, and in all of its policies, processes and activities, in Parliament and in the community.
- Racism in all forms is unacceptable and the Australian Government should combat racial and religious prejudice in line with its commitment to uphold human rights.
- There is diversity within each of Australia's multicultural communities.
Aims
The Australian Greens want:
- An Australian Multiculturalism Act, to work in conjunction with an Australian Charter of Human Rights that promotes and values multiculturalism and cultural diversity.
- Australia to be a cohesive community that does not tolerate violence or discrimination towards people of diverse cultures and backgrounds.
- All communities to have equal access to education, work and services provided by all levels of government regardless of culture, religion, language, and place of birth.
- All communities to have equal opportunity for representation and inclusion at local, state, and national levels of government regardless of culture, religion, language, and place of birth.
- A strong Racial Discrimination Act, including preservation of section 18C, enforced by a robust, independent, and fully funded Australian Human Rights Commission.
- To establish an independent and properly resourced Australian Multiculturalism Commission to protect and promote diversity, to work with human rights and anti-discrimination bodies to create cross-governmental partnerships for diversity, and to implement the Multiculturalism Act.
- To introduce a Parliamentary Code for Respecting Cultural Diversity which rejects discriminatory or exclusionary statements from Parliamentarians and upholds the values of social inclusion and respect for persons regardless of culture, religion, language, or place of birth.
- To establish a properly resourced National Diversity Centre, with specific focuses on cultural and religious diversity, to provide strategic and coordinated research into diversity in the Australian community and workforce.
- To implement proven, successful programs aimed at preventing racism, prejudice, and unconscious bias in order to develop a sense of belonging, and to eliminate racially motivated violence and discrimination.
- Policy development and program implementation based on wide and inclusive consultation that gives voice to Australia’s diverse cultural, linguistic, and religious communities.
- Dedicated fully funded State/Territory Migrant Resource Centres which have local and regional offices to adequately support immigrants and provide social and reference services to agencies that can provide educational, economic, business and employment and training support.
- Government-run and government-funded services to be accessible in languages other than English, provided free by bilingual staff or by qualified, registered interpreters. Interpreting and translation services to be well resourced and easily accessible to assist people using services or needing support.
- Mandatory cross-cultural and anti-racism training for all government and non-governmental staff engaged in the provision of services to culturally diverse communities.
- All government-run and government-funded services designed to ensure they are respectful and respond to the needs of culturally diverse communities.
- Adequate data on cultural and linguistic diversity to be collected, published, and used to improve services and programs.
- To promote and adequately resource community language studies for all Australians, especially in all schools and tertiary institutions.
- To extend the provision of free, high-quality, publicly provided and readily accessible English language courses.
- An Australian Multiculturalism Act, to work in conjunction with an Australian Charter of Rights, which would create a framework for multiculturalism and establish clear guiding principles for Australian society to embrace cultural and religious diversity.
- Comprehensive data collection on racial disparities, discrimination and hate crimes.
- Improved pathways for culturally and linguistically diverse individuals and communities to participate in broadcast media.
- All broadcasting services to be required to report in such a way that reflects Australia’s diversity and does not misrepresent culturally diverse communities.
- Changes to section 25 and 51(xxvi) of The Constitution which currently allows for discrimination based on race.
- Funded strategies to address the discrimination and marginalisation faced by LGBTQIA+ people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
- To make it easier for migrants and refugees to have their skills and qualifications recognised through a government-regulated process which reviews overseas qualifications in a fair, transparent, timely and non-discriminatory manner.
(Multiculturalism Policy as amended February 2021 Special National Conference.)