V ERIFIED VERSION PUBLIC ACCOUNTS AND ESTIMATES COMMITTEE Inquiry into Budget Estimates 2017–18 Melbourne — 2 June 2017 Members Mr Danny Pearson — Chair Ms Harriet Shing Mr David Morris — Deputy Chair Mr Tim Smith Mr Steve Dimopoulos Ms Louise Staley Ms Fiona Patten Ms Vicki Ward Ms Sue Pennicuik Witnesses Mr Robin Scott, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, and Mr Matt Lowe, Executive Director, Social Policy, Family Violence and Service Delivery Reform, Department of Premier and Cabinet. 2 June 2017 Public Accounts and Estimates Committee — Multicultural Affairs 1 The CHAIR — I declare open the public hearings for the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee inquiry into the 2017–18 budget estimates. All mobile telephones should now be turned to silent. I would like to welcome the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Honourable Robin Scott, MP, and Mr Matt Lowe, Executive Director, Social Policy, Family Violence and Service Delivery Reform, from the Department of Premier and Cabinet. In the gallery is Mr Hakan Akyol, director, Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, and Mr David Burns, Director, Communications, Corporate and Community Grants, Multicultural Affairs and Social Cohesion Division. All evidence is taken by the committee under the provisions of the Parliamentary Committees Act, attracts parliamentary privilege and is protected from judicial review. Comments made outside the hearing, including on social media, are not afforded such privilege. Witnesses will not be sworn but are requested to answer all questions succinctly, accurately and truthfully. Witnesses found to be giving false or misleading evidence may be in contempt of Parliament and subject to penalty. All evidence given today is being recorded by Hansard, and you will be provided with proof versions of the transcript for verification as soon as available. Verified transcripts, presentations and handouts will be placed on the committee’s website as soon as possible. All written communication to witnesses must be provided via officers of the PAEC secretariat. Members of the public gallery cannot participate in the committee’s proceedings in any way and cannot photograph, audiorecord or videorecord any part of these proceedings. Members of the media must remain focused only on the persons speaking. Any filming and recording must cease immediately at the completion of the hearing. I now invite the witness to make a very brief opening statement of no more than 5 minutes, and this will be followed by questions from the committee. Mr SCOTT — Thank you, and I would remind all members that they are nearly done — this is the last hearing. Visual presentation. Mr SCOTT — I would like to share the government initiatives in the multicultural affairs portfolio. As I am sure members are aware, Victoria is a diverse state. According to the 2011 census just under a quarter of our population is born overseas. Our strong international migration is a testament to our economic strength and the opportunities and appeal that our multicultural society offers. Nearly 50 per cent of Victorians are born or have at least one parent born overseas, and the government expects these numbers to increase in the upcoming census. So it is clear that for many of us cultural diversity starts at home and is the norm. In 2016–17 the Andrews Labor government continued its hard work in supporting multiculturalism and culturally diverse communities across Victoria. Some of our key achievements include the launch of the Victorian. And Proud of It multicultural policy, the campaign and the launch of the Victorian Values Statement, which were aimed at building a more socially cohesive and harmonious society with the key objective unifying Victorians around our shared values of a peaceful, prosperous society with a shared sense of belonging, respect, acceptance and contribution. Early results of the campaign show there has been an increase in support for the sense of belonging amongst Victorians. The launch of the first ever multicultural sports fund, which is a $4 million investment supporting culturally diverse communities to participate in sport, is part of a whole-of-government sports sector multicultural participation strategy. A further $2 million investment from the multicultural portfolio into Jobs Victoria is to assist disadvantaged jobseekers from culturally diverse backgrounds. Initial results from the Jobs Victoria Employment Network, as of 7 April this year, indicate that 49 per cent of Jobs Victoria Employment Network participants were born in a country other than Australia, 31 per cent of Jobs Victoria Employment Network participants speak a language 2 June 2017 Public Accounts and Estimates Committee — Multicultural Affairs 2 other than English at home and 47 per cent of Jobs Victoria Employment Network participants are identified as culturally and linguistically diverse in some way. The 2017–18 budget will deliver a $51.8 million investment over four years to build on one of the state’s great assets — our cultural diversity. This budget delivers a $21.8 million investment to improve the state’s language services and meet the needs of our multicultural communities. This is the largest single increase in funding for interpreters in Victoria’s history. The boost will help new migrants get access to education and training, find employment and understand important healthcare information. It will also make interpreting services more accessible in regional Victoria. There will be a $2 million investment to establish Victoria’s first migrant worker centre to prevent workers being exploited through underpayment and poor working conditions. The centre will provide workers with information on their rights, wages and contracts and reduce worker exploitation. The budget will deliver a $19 million boost over three years to deliver Victorian. And Proud of It, our new multicultural policy, to support our plan to strengthen social cohesion and respond to the need of all Victorians to have a strong sense of belonging. Victorian. And Proud of It initiatives include $2.3 million for a rights and responsibilities community education program, $1 million for an anti-racism action plan to address discrimination and $1.8 million for digital literacy and digital citizenship programs to help young people recognise when they are being manipulated online or confronted with online extremism. In addition, the government has committed $9 million over four years to build capacity to deliver family violence services for culturally diverse communities. The $51.1 million committed in the 2017–18 financial year represents a record investment in multicultural affairs, which is more than double the investment in the portfolio when we came into office. We know that diversity delivers positive economic and social benefits. That is why the Andrews Labor government will continue to invest in the needs of diverse communities, building on the great tradition of support for multiculturalism, which is extended across governments, I might say, of different political persuasions here in Victoria. The CHAIR — Thank you, Minister. That was a very efficient delivery of your presentation. The budget paper reference is budget paper 3, page 102, ‘multicultural policy statement’. At the outset I should declare that I am a member of the African ministerial working group, and I am very fortunate in having such a large and diverse African-Australian community in my electorate. Minister, just in relation to the policy — and I was very pleased to be at the launch of that — can you talk a bit about how you anticipate this policy is going to support multiculturalism in Victoria? Mr SCOTT — There are a number of elements to Victorian. And Proud of It. If I might ask, how long I have, because I could go at great length. The CHAIR — Until 1.55 p.m. Mr SCOTT — At the heart of the Victorian. And Proud of It multicultural policy statement and campaign is the Victorian values statement of the values: one law for all; freedom to be yourself; discrimination is never acceptable; a fair go for all; and it is up to all of us to contribute to a Victoria we can be proud of. This is about setting out shared values and promoting a sense of belonging and respect, acceptance and contribution. These are values that Victorians expect of each other, and there is strong support, we find, in the community for these values. This was launched by the Premier and me in February this year. An important aspect of the program is the telling of personal stories of contribution. What we believe is that the real, lived experience of ordinary Victorians in our diverse multicultural community, their stories of contribution and how that contribution creates a stronger social cohesion and a sense of belonging within and across Victorian society is a very important way to support social cohesion and diversity within our community, which has been such a hallmark of multiculturalism here in Victoria over an extended period of time, and as I indicated, across different governments of different political persuasions. One of the aspects of the policy, which may be subject to questioning, I am sure, is Vicky, the social cohesion truck, which will take the message out to all Victorians, help facilitate community conversations and allow Victorians to engage with the Victorian values statement and the key themes of contribution and belonging in a personal and interactive way. Vicky will attend a balance of regional and metropolitan events, including large, mainstream events and small community events, and I think we have already had interest from a range of community organisations and educational institutions in being engaged with Vicky the Truck. 2 June 2017 Public Accounts and Estimates Committee — Multicultural Affairs 3 Also, there are initiatives such as the $2.3 million education program co-designed with communities so that every Victorian is aware of their rights and responsibilities under the law. That is the community engagement education program.