2016-11-23
Over the last week we have seen a blatant undermining by certain political leaders at both state and federal level of what makes our Victorian community great. Singling out people from certain ethnic minorities for punitive purposes or blame-shifting for whatever reason is tantamount to racial profiling and vilification. That is not the sort of leadership we need. We have a proud tradition of multipartisan support for multiculturalism here in Victoria, so it saddens me that I feel I need to get to my feet in this place and point out that it is our diversity that makes us strong.
This is not just my opinion or politics. Yesterday the Scanlon Foundation released its latest social cohesion report, and, contrary to what many pundits would have us think about a so-called rising wave of anti-multicultural sentiment, this report overwhelmingly confirms that it is not the case. Sixty per cent of people agreed with the statement that accepting immigrants from many different countries makes Australia stronger, and a huge 91 per cent of people have a sense of belonging in Australia. These numbers show that, despite the fearmongering attempts of those that would weaken multiculturalism, it is stronger than ever.
Australians overwhelmingly support and embrace diversity and view it as a strength, so I would encourage each and every person that holds a leadership position to think about what they say before they say it and about whether in fact their words are a fair representation of the people they represent or simply a cheap political stunt to capitalise on a divisive and toxic public narrative.