5100 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Wednesday 3 May 2000 ______ Mr Speaker (The Hon. John Henry Murray) took the chair at 10.00 a.m. Mr Speaker offered the Prayer. COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION AND PRINCIPLES OF MULTICULTURALISM BILL Second Reading Debate resumed from 2 May. Mr GAUDRY (Newcastle—Parliamentary Secretary) [10.00 a.m.]: Yesterday, when I had the advantage of listening to debate on this bill, I was buoyed by the support shown for this legislation by all honourable members. Most honourable members accepted and welcomed multiculturalism as a fundamental part of society in New South Wales. Those who participated in debate on this bill congratulated the Government on introducing measures which will ensure that multiculturalism is enshrined in law. The Government recognises and celebrates the cultural diversity of people living in New South Wales. It recognises their positive contribution to and their growth within a community which has English as a common language. It recognises our institutional framework in New South Wales and it recognises also that, within that framework, people from different cultures have the right to live their lives in that community. Honourable members who contributed to debate on this bill related personal experiences of the contact they have had with members of our rich and diverse community, the impact that those experiences have had on them and the development of their view towards multiculturalism. It is sad that in some ways we have had to enshrine an issue such as this in legislation. Yesterday the honourable member for The Entrance said that only now, after a period of 20 years, have we acknowledged the fact that Australia is a multicultural society. In the past few years some divisive influences in this community sought to blame ethnicity for the economic difficulties being experienced in country and regional New South Wales. This bill will attempt to ensure that those who have made Australia their home are part and parcel of and full participants in our community. We welcome and celebrate that cultural diversity. I welcome and applaud the input of members to debate on this issue. I welcome their recognition of and support for the multiculturalism concept. Let me present to honourable members my own perspective in this debate. I grew up in the small country town of Kendall. It was not until the 1950s that people from other communities came to live in that community. Two Dutch families, who were used to living in the country, quickly made themselves active and full members of our community. I left Kendall and commenced my teacher training in Newcastle and I then went to the country, to Tenterfield, to teach. It was not until 1965, when I was transferred from Tenterfield to teach at Newtown Boys High School, that I came into contact with the rich variety of people migrating to and taking up opportunities in this country. It was there that I learned for the first time that it did not matter from which country people came; they came to Australia with a similar view—they wanted the best for their children. They were family oriented people who wanted to get on with and make a success of their lives. Myriad people from different communities came through Newtown Boys High School while I was there from 1965 to 1980. Many of those people started off in what I would call the sweated industries, working extremely hard to provide for their children and to give them an education and a start in life. In the time that I spent at that school it was wonderful to see the development of those children, who went on to become successful and active members of a community with strong cultural and family values. People came to Australia from every continent. In the traditional era of early arrivals people from Greek and Maltese communities settled in Newtown. Migration patterns then changed and people from southern and central Europe, Asia and South America came through the Newtown area. When I first moved to Newcastle there were far fewer migrants than there are now. However, they quickly assimilated into and participated fully in community life. Some important aspects in this legislation include multiculturalism, the celebration of 3 May 2000 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 5101 people's backgrounds and their participation in the community. I will mention a few events in Newcastle that identify that coming together of people and the celebration of their diversity. Yesterday someone said in debate on this bill, "We are one but we are many and from all the lands on earth we come." That statement could be used as one of our multicultural concepts. Another honourable member said, "Many colours, one rainbow", which again emphasises the diversity of our backgrounds and the fact that together we are building this nation. This piece of legislation re-emphasises those concepts. In Newcastle we celebrate multiculturalism annually with a cultural stomp. People from multicultural backgrounds come together in Civic Park to celebrate with music and dance. Each year in Hamilton people from diverse communities celebrate in a unified manner a fiesta in Beaumont Street—one of the most multicultural streets in the Newcastle area. At that fiesta we see wonderful benefits, apart from the economic input of people. A diverse range of restaurants provide a variety of foods for people in Newcastle. I refer also to the Scalabrini Centre in Beaumont Street and to the Greek, Italian and Turkish restaurants. In the past 20 to 30 years we have seen many changes in the composition of that street. Those sorts of social activities have greatly benefited the people of Newcastle. I wish to reiterate the principles of multiculturalism that are contained in the bill and to recognise the general support within the House for this bill. Principle 1 states: All individuals in New South Wales should have the greatest possible opportunity to contribute to, and participate in, all aspects of public life. That principle facilitates access to all aspects of public life, through education and government programs, by all people who live in our multicultural society. Principle 2 states: All individuals and public institutions should respect and make provision for the culture, language and religion of others within an Australian legal and institutional framework where English is the common language. All people coming to this country, whilst recognising that they live within our institutional, government and legal structures, can retain their own cultural identity. Principle 3 states: All individuals should have the greatest possible opportunity to make use of and participate in relevant activities and programs provided or administered by the Government of New South Wales. Principle 3, which emphasises the accessibility of government programs to people of all cultures and languages, places on us a responsibility to provide services in other languages, as well as in English. Principle 4 states: All public institutions of New South Wales should recognise the linguistic and cultural assets in the population of New South Wales as a valuable resource and promote this resource to maximise the development of the State. As was emphasised yesterday, one of the reasons for the development of this State in the international commerce and technology field is the capacity of our industries to communicate in every language. Multiculturalism provides such economic benefits, as well as providing a welcoming and culturally diverse community in which people from all cultures can comfortably live. For a long time my community of Newcastle has celebrated the diversity of peoples. I congratulate Newcastle City Council on its promotion of multiculturalism and the way in which it has led the reconciliation process with our indigenous people. We should not forget that the reconciliation process has a long way to go, and we must continue the positive programs that have been implemented by the Government. Since 1993 Newcastle has held a coming together day, which celebrates multiculturalism and the contribution of our indigenous people to the cultural growth of our country. On that day thousands of people sign the Hunter commitment to indigenous Australia. That is a proud record. All honourable members who have contributed to the debate recognise the importance of this legislation. In many ways the impetus for the legislation was the negative approach that some people were taking towards multiculturalism. People come from other countries to make their home here and contribute to this country. Although they are totally committed to Australia, they also wish to maintain their sense of cultural identity. They felt that they were being prejudiced and discriminated against by people who were using the race issue to divide our community. Those people did not want to cement our multicultural society or promote it as a positive aspect of Australian life in the late 1990s and into 2000. Australia has been recognised on the world stage as a country that has been successful in bringing people from around the world and melding them into a coherent culture. We recognise their differences and applaud their commitment to Australia, which has received worldwide recognition as a country that has given a start to people from many diverse nations. I support the bill. Mr GIBSON (Blacktown) [10.15 a.m.]: I am proud to support the Community Relations Commission and Principles of Multiculturalism Bill. In many ways, the bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation 5102 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 3 May 2000 that has been put before this Parliament. It recognises the cultural diversity of people who live in this great State and country. Many communities and organisations have placed on record their strong support for the legislation. They include the Chinese, Lebanese, Arabic, Jewish, Croatian and Italian communities and organisations throughout regional New South Wales.